Three of the 15 modern-era finalists made the Class of 2025: cornerback Eric Allen, defensive end Jared Allen, and tight end Antonio Gates. (Wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, the fourth member of the class, was a senior candidate after previously not getting in as a modern-era candidate.)

A small class was announced for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Thursday night, and now the class of 2026 is officially on the clock.

Pro Football Hall of Fame class being selected, the attention now turns to those eligible to be elected next year. Players who last took the field in 2020 are eligible for the first time in 2026, a group that’s led by Drew Brees,

Eli Manning and no other quarterbacks were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025, but it should be a busy annual run for the position starting in 2026.

With the Pro Football Hall of Fame shutting out Cowboys legend Darren Woodson once again, it’s time to look ahead to the Class of 2026. And several Cowboys could well be in the mix for legitimate gold jacket talk next year.

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.