Drew Brees heads the list of first-year-eligible candidates among the 128 modern-era players nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, officials announced Wednesday.

Brees, who retired from the Saints in 2020, is among a strong group of new candidates that includes receiver Larry Fitzgerald, quarterback Philip Rivers and running back Frank Gore.

Brees is trying to become the first Saints player to ever be elected on the first ballot of his Hall of Fame candidacy. He would join Willie Roaf (Class of 2012), Rickey Jackson (2010), Morten Andersen (2017) and Sam Mills (2022) on the list of Hall of Famers, who played the majority of their careers in New Orleans.

Jahri Evans, who has been a finalist each of the past two years, is also among the candidates, as is former John

See Full Page