A ton of notable players will become eligible for induction in 2026, along with Bill Belichick, one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. Players must be retired for at least five years to be eligible, while coaches recently saw their waiting period reduced from five seasons to one.

Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Jason Witten, Frank Gore and Philip Rivers will be among the players who will be in their first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year. All played their final NFL seasons in 2020.

Eli Manning was in his hometown this week for various events and appearances leading into Super Bowl 2025 but this did not turn out to be a grand homecoming for him.