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2026 NFL HOF candidates

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Which former Patriots are elected to the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame?

  • Bill Belichick

    Votes: 7 50.0%
  • Julian Edelman

    Votes: 1 7.1%
  • Stephen Gostkowski

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Rodney Harrison

    Votes: 3 21.4%
  • Adam Vinatieri

    Votes: 4 28.6%
  • some other former Patriot

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • none of the above

    Votes: 2 14.3%
  • RLKAG

    Votes: 3 21.4%

  • Total voters
    14
  • Poll closed .
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Triumph

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it's a very impressive group that not only has awards, but longevity and counting stats

Brees, Fitz, Gore, Witten feel right
Olsen, Rivers revisit next year
Ghost and JE fall short imo

I also agree, Rodney should be in
 
Brees yes, Fitz yes, Gore yes, Witten yes - seems fitting the top row are all yes's. Rivers no, Gost no, Edelman no as much as I'd like to be wrong.
 
Last edited:
Brees yes, Fitz yes, Gore yes, Witten yes, Rivers no, Olsen...50/50, Gost no, Edelman no as much as I'd like to be wrong
seems we agree here
Rodney?
 
Gostkowski before AV?

I seriously doubt that he makes it past 1st round voting, but really?
AV is still eligible. I think this list is new HOF candidates who could be on their first ballot.
 
seems we agree here
Rodney?
Still eligible. Should have been in a while ago but won't be for the same reasons as always.
 
Brees and Fitzgerald are first ballot, upper echelon HOFers.

Gore and Whitten belong in, but will have to wait a year or two. The "Frank Gore was the most underrated player of his generation" mafia will come out loud and proud, but Beast Mode Lynch belongs first.

Rivers is an interisting case for how the committee views inflating QB stats. He put up big volume numbers for 15 years. I suspect he comes up short.

I don't think anyone else here has a chance (though Jules belongs).
 
This won't be a popular opinion here cause Edelman was an all time great Patriot and a clutch playoff performer but is nowhere near the Pro football Hall of Fame, he has 3000 less yards in the regular season than TY Hilton.

That's not sniffing the hall of fame playing on a great team who went deep in the playoffs every year doesn't make you a hall of famer, he was never a top 5 WR in the league one season in his career, what are we going on about here?

Rodney Harrison is a hall of famer who should be in, Edelman doesn't even belong on the ballot your playoff stats only matter if it's close 6800 yards in the regular season and only having 3 x 1000 yard seasons is so far off the HOF standard his playoff stats won't matter.
 
Just to clarify, those listed in the original post are players eligible for the first time.
It is not the entire list of candidates.
IOW Rodney Harrison and Adam Vinatieri are eligible as well.


There is also another person who is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the first time: Bill Belichick.


Of this list of players, Brees and Fitzgerald figure to be locks for induction next year, along with Belichick, who led the Patriots to a record six Super Bowl wins during his time in New England. Brees retired as the NFL's career leader in both passing yards and touchdown passes (he is currently second to Tom Brady in both categories). Brees also has a Super Bowl win and Super Bowl MVP trophy to boot. Fitzgerald is second to only Jerry Rice in both career receptions and receiving yards. His signature moment was his prolific 2008 playoff run that ended with a close loss to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.


The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 could feature some difficult decisions as the board of selectors balances the extended wait for some with the lure of several decorated first-time eligible players.

Quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, tight end Jason Witten, running back Frank Gore and quarterback Philip Rivers will be among the players who will be in their first year of eligibility next year. All played their final NFL seasons in 2020.

And beyond that powerhouse list of players, there will be perhaps the biggest name of all in the coach/contributor categories: Bill Belichick.
 
Excited for Ron Borges to present Bill's case and then spend an hour arguing against him
 
No worries there. How stupid is Kraft, BB will be in the HOF and not in the Pats HOF.
I believe Bill should be on the picture in the O/P, correct?
the rules have changed for coaches from 5 years to 1 year. Bill is eligible for the 2026 class.
I assume RK will have a statue for Bill. announcement to come some time after next weeks Brady unveiling
 
Fitzgerald, Brees, Gore, McCoy

Everyone else can wait. Which means we'll get Dez ****ing Bryant and Geno Atkins.
 
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