Brees, Fitzgerald, Kuechly enter Hall of Fame
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- Drew Brees was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection who ranks second all-time in passing yards (80,358) and touchdown passes (571), behind only Tom Brady, after a 20-year career that included three benchings by Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer — adversity he credited with fueling his Super Bowl-winning run in New Orleans under Sean Payton.
- Larry Fitzgerald, the 11-time Pro Bowl receiver who played all 17 seasons with the Cardinals, was the first inductee to unveil his bronze bust and credited his time as a Vikings ball boy under coach Dennis Green plus mentors Cris Carter and Randy Moss with shaping his career.
- Luke Kuechly, a five-time All-Pro linebacker with the Panthers, retired to preserve his brain health after multiple concussions and was inducted on the same Canton field where he won a 2007 state high school championship.
- Roger Craig revealed in a video speech that he has vascular dementia while accepting his place as the first NFL player ever to post 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season.
- The five-member 2026 class is rounded out by kicker Adam Vinatieri, joining Brees, Fitzgerald, Kuechly, and Craig in Canton.
- Sean Payton took time off from coaching Denver to introduce Brees on stage, where Brees got emotional thanking him for the plan and vision that defined their Saints partnership.
Why it matters: The 2026 Hall of Fame class stacks two of the most decorated players at their positions — Brees (2nd all-time in passing yards and TDs) and Fitzgerald (2nd all-time in receptions) — alongside two inductees who used the podium to spotlight football's physical cost, with Kuechly retiring over concussion concerns and Craig disclosing a vascular dementia diagnosis.
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