On the heels of the four-man Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2025 that included Eric Alle, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe, itās worth wondering which former NFL stars will be the next to get a bust of their own in Canton. With that in mind, BetCarolina.com broke down the odds on which candidates have the best shot at enshrinement in 2026, with first ballot contenders like Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald atop our list right now.
The Carolina Panthers have a stake because one of their all-time best players - Luke Kuechly - is also among the candidates.
Player | Position | Odds | Percent Chance |
Drew Brees | QB | -20000 | 99.5% |
Larry Fitzgerald | WR | -2000 | 95.2% |
Luke Kuechly | LB | -600 | 85.7% |
Willie Anderson | OT | +125 | 44.4% |
Jahri Evans | OG | +175 | 36.4% |
Adam Vinatieri | K | +200 | 33.3% |
Jason Witten | TE | +200 | 33.3% |
Torry Holt | WR | +275 | 26.7% |
Reggie Wayne | WR | +275 | 26.7% |
Frank Gore | RB | +475 | 17.4% |
Maurkice Pouncey | C | + 475 | 17.4% |
The Field |
| +200 | 33.3% |
These odds are exclusive to BetCarolina.com, where top real money NC sports betting promos are ready for customers to use when they sign up.
The man who became the face of the New Orleans Saintsā rebirth post-Katrina spent the first five years of his professional career in Southern California, where he went 30-28 in five seasons with the San Diego Chargers, throwing for 80 touchdowns and 12,348 yards with the Bolts from 2001 to 2005. From there, Brees hit a new level when he signed with the Saints in 2006, leading the franchise to its lone Super Bowl championship in 2009 while posting a 142-86 record with the franchise, throwing for 68,010 yards and 491 touchdowns with the NFC South stalwarts. Brees, who is on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2026, holds the best odds of enshrinement overall, at -20000, as the 20-year veteran finished his playing days with the second highest approximate value in league history, at 277, along with making 13 Pro Bowl trips and one All-Pro team in his playing days, building as strong a case as anyone to join the legends of the game at the Ohio museum.
Few wideouts defined the position in the modern era of professional football quite like Fitzgerald, who spent all 263 games of his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals, amassing an approximate value of 138 with the NFC West club. During that time, Fitzgerald hauled in 1,432 catches for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns, making 11 Pro Bowl and one All-Pro team during his career, while serving as the face of the franchise throughout his playing days. With 2026 marking Fitzgeraldās first time on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot, donāt be surprised if the former Pitt Panthers star makes his way into the Hall as quickly as possible, with -2000 odds of enshrinement in 2026 after posting the second-most receiving yards in league history (behind Jerry Riceās 22,895) and receptions (behind Riceās 1,549), with the sixth most receiving touchdowns overall during his 17-year NFL career.
The five-time All-Pro linebacker with the Carolina Panthers struck fear into the hearts of opposing receivers, with an approximate value of 107 in 118 games played, making 1,092 tackles, 75 tackles for loss, 31 QB hits and hauling in 18 interceptions in his eight-year NFL career. While the 2013 AP Defensive Player of the Year did not make the cut for the class of 2025 during his first year on the ballot, weāre riding high on Kuechlyās chances this go-round, with -600 odds of the former Panthers star making getting a gold jacket of his own in 2026.
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Few retired NFL stars have been as close, yet as far away from enshrinement as the four-time Pro Bowl tackle missed out again after making it as a finalist for the fourth time since joining the ballot in 2014. While the three-time All-Pro linemanās playing days should be enough to sway the voters on its own, itās evidently not, with the man who racked up 117 AV in 195 games played with the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens left wondering what he has to do to get a bust of his own. Come 2026, weāre giving Anderson a puncherās chance at doing just that, with +125 odds of enshrinement after years of waiting for the legendary offensive lineman out of Auburn.
Like Anderson, Evansā playing days came in the trenches, making his impact harder to recognize than a glitzier position like quarterback, running back or wide receiver. Still, the former Saints and Green Bay Packers legend made his fair share of impact at right guard, racking up 145 AV in 183 games played while reaching six Pro Bowls and four NFL All-Pro Teams in his 183-game career. While Evans, who first qualified for enshrinement in 2023, has yet to crack the field, weāre giving him solid odds of doing so in 2026, sitting at +175 to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year.
Few players defined a particular position the way that Vinatieri did during his playing days at place kicker, with the three-time All-Pro hitting 599 out of 715 kicks in his storied career, amassing 78 AV in 365 games played with New England and the Indianapolis Colts during his 24-year career. While Vinatieri is probably best known for nailing two game-winning Super Bowl field goals with the Patsā, his impact far outshines those highlight reel moments, with 34 more field goal makes than the next closest kicker in NFL history (that being Morten Andersenās 565 makes from 1982 to 2007), speaking to the long-term impact that the kicker out of South Dakota State made with two AFC franchises over a 24-year period. Vinatieriās second trip on the ballot doesnāt look promising, though, with the former star place kicker holding +200 odds of enshrinement in 2026.
The former Dallas Cowboys star tight end and one-time Monday Night Football color commentator is on the ballot for the first time in 2026, as Jason Wittenās six-year waiting period officially comes to an end after his 271-game NFL career ended in 2020. During his 17-year run with the Cowboys, Witten hauled in 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns, amassing 116 AV for the NFC East club. The 11-time Pro Bowl tight end is far from a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer, though, as Witten currently holds +200 odds of making it into the Canton museum in 2026, ranked alongside Vinatieri on our HOF odds board.
The seven-time Hall of Fame finalist enters his 12th year on the Hall of Fame ballot looking to finally get into the Canton museum. After an 11-year career with the St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars where he amassed 13,382 yards and 123 AV, it seems like 2026 might officially mark ānow or neverā territory for the seven-time Pro Bowler, as Holtās odds will likely only get longer from here. In 2026, the former star wideout holds +275 odds of making it into the Hall, ranked alongside fellow wideout Reggie Wayne on our HOF tracker for next yearās class.
Another longtime NFL wideout thatās currently facing long odds of enshrinement is 14-year Indianapolis Coltsā receiver Reggie Wayne, who enters his seventh year on the ballot looking at +275 odds of getting a gold jacket of his own in 2026. Wayne, who had 14,345 yards and 153 AV in 211 games with the Colts, has plenty of years left to try and get a gold jacket of his own, though 2026 might be his best shot yet, even if he enters the process with the third-longest odds of anyone on our HOF tracker.
The ironman running back out of Miami finished his 16-year career with the most games played by a running back in league history, at 241, finishing with an even 16,000 yards to his name and 81 touchdowns during that stretch, to go with an approximate value of 133 for the San Francisco 49ers, Colts, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. While Goreās playing days were the stuff of legend, it might not be enough to get him a gold jacket in Year One on the ballot, with +475 odds of making it in in 2026, tying with Maurkice Pouncey for the longest of any candidate overall.
The nine-time Pro Bowl center anchored the trenches for the Pittsburgh Steelers for a decade, with an approximate value of 94 in 134 games played with the club from 2010 to 2020, making two All-Pro teams and nine Pro Bowl trips in total. While the center position might be the most overlooked group in football, Pouncey made sure to leave his mark on the sport, potentially leading to a gold jacket of his own in the future. Unfortunately for him, weāre not high on his odds of doing so out of the gate, with the former Florida Gators star lineman holding +475 odds of enshrinement in 2026, ranking alongside Gore for dead-last on our HOF odds board for the year ahead.
Author
Christopher Boan is a lead writer at BetCarolina.com specializing in covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
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