Albert Breer's Five Takeaways From the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026

I'm Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, and here are my five thoughts on the Hall of Fame class of 2026. Drew Brees is the headliner of the class getting in on the first ballot. Richly deserved, and Drew came along at a time when the quarterback position was being elevated in the pantheon of American sport. His story was an interesting one. Second round pick, had early success with the San Diego Chargers. Winds up blowing out his shoulder after a nine win season in 2005, and goes to New Orleans Saints where he finds his perfect match in Sean Payton. And leading some of the best offenses of all time. And if you look at the course of his career, just a staggering amount of consistency. He was in New Orleans for 15 years. Over that period of time, the Saints fielded 13 top 10 offenses and 10 top five offenses. And statistically, his ability to continually put up high accuracy numbers. One of the first quarterbacks to go over 70% completion percentage. Get the yardage numbers right around 5,000 yards in most years. Drew Brees time after time after time was able to produce both statistically, individually, and bring New Orleans its first Super Bowl title. And do so under the backdrop of the damage of Hurricane Katrina. So Drew Brees gets into the Hall of Fame on his first try. Roger Craig, the former Niners running back, really a trendsetter. I'm going back to the 1980s. Some great teams, of course, he was a part of in San Francisco playing with Joe Montana. But more so than just the statistical dominance, more so than just the team accomplishment. He changed the way that everyone looked at the running back position. He opened the door for Marshall Falk, who opened the door for Thurman Thomas, who's opened the door for a ton of running backs in this day and And you look at the statistics that, of course, shows what Roger Craig was able to do. First running back in NFL history to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. So Roger Craig's impact, of course, was great from an individual standpoint and what he was able to do on championship teams in San Francisco. But more than anything else, he changed the way that the running back position is scouted, the way the running back position is developed. And he had an impact on so many guys who are in the game today. Larry Fitzgerald gets in and the one thing that you look at when you look at Larry Fitzgerald was his ability to consistently produce no matter the circumstances. And to me, Larry Fitzgerald is the definition of the guy where when the offense breaks the huddle and everyone knows where the ball is going, you can't stop it. And the 100 catch seasons are a testament to that. I don't think there have been very many players who've had a singular playoff run like the one that he had in 2008 in helping the Arizona Cardinals make it to their first Super Bowl, going on the road and being able to win a couple of games in the NFC playoffs. And then in that Super Bowl against the Steelers, nearly single-handedly beating a really, really great Pittsburgh team. Larry Fitzgerald, probably one of the three or four greatest players in the history of the Cardinals franchise. There's a staggering consistency. There was talent there, but there's also a good part of this that was self-made at the beginning of his career and then again at the end of his career. Luke Keeley gets in a shorter career, played less than a decade. But I look at Luke Keeley as the type of player where if you ask me what a Hall of Famer is, it's a guy who's at the very top of the heap over an extended period of time in his position. And as long as Luke Keeley was healthy and playing in the NFL, he was one of the, if not the, best middle linebacker in football. He came to define the position for a generation. He was able to lead some truly deep, dominant defenses, and a defense that wound up helping carry the Carolina Panthers to their second Super Bowl in 2015, just a prototype for that position. In his size, in his speed, and more than anything else, in his ability to diagnose things, see them faster than everybody else, and get to the ball. And finally, and this one is long overdue, Adam Vinatieri makes it to the Hall of Fame. Finally, I believe you cannot tell the story of pro football without Adam Vinatieri. He helped launch the Patriots dynasty with his playoff run in 2001. The iconic kick to force overtime against the Raiders in the Snow Bowl, then winning the game on a kick after that. And he kicks the game winner in the Super Bowl in both 2001 and 2003. And beyond just that, you look at longevity, he played ten years in New England and then played another 14 in Indianapolis, won a Super Bowl with both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. And I think he goes down as, if not the most prolific kicker of all time, the highest impact kicker of all time. And it's about time that Adam Vinatieri makes it into the Hall of Fame.