Pro Football Hall of Fame: 2026 First Ballot Inductee Odds

• Pro Football Hall of Fame candidates always stir a vigorous debate
• Those voted in on the first ballot are usually league luminaries
• Odds for the 2026 class are posted
• Notable candidates listed, including Larry Fitzgerald and Drew Brees
• Let’s look at the odds and which former NFL stars might make it in on the first try

Odds for 2026 First Ballot HOF

Fit Them for the Gold Jacket

Larry Fitzgerald, WR – Arizona Cardinals

Fitzgerald is an 11X Pro Bowler and a 1X All-Pro. He is also an HOF All-2010s Team member, which is generally a ticket to the Hall of Fame, eventually.

Is he a first-ballot inductee? The class does not have that Lawrence Taylor/Joe Montana/Jim Brown-type who immediately takes precedence. Fitzgerald is at the top of the heap, arguably slightly ahead of Drew Brees.

He played 17 years and was a well-respected person on and off the field, epitomizing the image the NFL wants to convey. It doesn’t hurt that his father, Larry Sr., is a well-liked sportswriter, and the PFHOF selection committee is largely comprised of fellow media members.

Drew Brees, QB – San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints

Brees was briefly the all-time NFL leader in TD passes with 571 before a guy named Tom Brady blew past him.

He is a 13-time Pro Bowler, a 1-time All-Pro, a Super Bowl champion, the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV, and has won numerous other awards. At only 6′ tall, notoriously small for a pro quarterback in general, let alone a superstar, he played beyond his physical limitations.

He was also durable and tough, playing through serious shoulder problems and still performing at the top of his game.

Solid Candidates, but Not First Ballot Inductees

Jason Witten, TE – Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders

Witten played 17 years in the league, was an 11x Pro Bowler, and a 1X All-Pro. His odds are +160, so he has a reasonable shot, but might have to wait until year two, like Luke Keuchly, a clear Hall of Famer who retired young and was passed over in 2025.

Maurkice Pouncey, C – Pittsburgh Steelers

Pouncey was an anchor for the Steelers’ offensive line from 2010 to 2020. He is a 9X Pro Bowler, a 2X All-Pro, and a HOF All-2010s team member. His odds are +1000, so the oddsmakers think he’ll wait.

They’re right.

Past Candidates Are Ahead of Them

The aforementioned players are worthy candidates, but they are not in the pantheon of NFL stars like Fitzgerald and Brees. Making it more difficult for them is the list of candidates who have been waiting their turn. That includes:

• Eli Manning, QB – New York Giants
• Luke Keuchly, LB – Carolina Panthers
• Willie Anderson, T – Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens
• Torry Holt, WR – St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Fred Taylor, RB – Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots
• Steve Smith Sr, WR – Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens
• Darren Woodson, S – Dallas Cowboys
• Adam Vinatieri, K – New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts

There are several others.

Who Are Your Picks for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Fitzgerald and Brees are likely slam dunks, but the Pro Football Hall of Fame is full of surprises. In certain circumstances, it causes players, coaches, and executives to wait. There is an argument that they make them wait too long.

Bill Belichick can be inducted, but the voters do not like inducting coaches they think will return to the sideline. That kept Bill Parcells out long after he should have been inducted. And the writers weren’t wrong in thinking he might come back because he did multiple times.

Harry Carson waited seemingly forever and didn’t believe it when he got the call that he was finally voted in.

So, who do you think will be enshrined on the first ballot in 2026?

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