The finalists for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 have been announced. Two former star quarterbacks are up for election.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced its finalists for the Class of 2026 in the “Modern-Era Players” category.

A total of 15 former NFL stars have made the cut. With Drew Brees and Eli Manning, two former quarterbacks are also up for election. Manning had already missed out on induction last year.

Joining Brees on the list of finalists for the first time are Larry Fitzgerald (wide receiver), Frank Gore (running back), Kevin Williams (defensive tackle), and Jason Witten (tight end).

In addition to Manning, the following players were already on the shortlist: Willie Anderson (tackle), Jahri Evans (guard), Torry Holt (wide receiver), Luke Kuechly (linebacker), Terrell Suggs (outside linebacker/defensive end), Adam Vinatieri (kicker), Reggie Wayne (wide receiver), Darren Woodson (safety), and Marshal Yanda (guard/tackle).

Three new legends

Wide receiver Fitzgerald is second on the all-time list behind Jerry Rice with 17,492 yards and 1,432 receptions.

Running back Gore has exactly 16,000 rushing yards, putting him in third place on the all-time list. Unlike Fitzgerald, who only played for the Arizona Cardinals, Gore played for a total of five clubs. He spent most of his career with the San Francisco 49ers.

Brees and Tom Brady are the only quarterbacks in NFL history to have broken the 80,000 passing yard barrier, with Brees reaching 80,358. He also ranks second with 571 passing touchdowns. Brees won the Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints in the 2009 season and was also named MVP of the final.

Hall of Fame: Philip Rivers was up for election ahead of his comeback

The finalists were selected by an independent Hall of Fame selection committee from a list of 128 nominees. According to the HoF, the list of candidates had already been reduced twice (to 52 nominees and then to 26 semifinalists).

The selection committee can select up to five modern-era players for the class of 2026. To be selected, each player must receive at least 80 percent of the votes. The decision will be announced on February 5.

To be eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame, candidates must have played their last season more than five seasons ago.

Philip Rivers, who was among the semifinalists, is no longer eligible this year as he recently made his NFL comeback with the Indianapolis Colts. As a result, the playmaker will not be eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame until the Class of 2031.