Drew Brees can and should make NFL history in 2026 without stepping on the field for the New Orleans Saints

The Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomed their latest inductees earlier this week, and that signals a look ahead to the 2026 potential entrees. 

A New Orleans Saints legend is one of the biggest names that could be inducted for the first time. Drew Brees will get his first chance to get in, and he deserves it in his first go-around, too.

Brees in 2026 Hall of Fame class

Brees is one of the headliners for next year's class for the hall. Larry Fitzgerald and Jason Witten are two of the other names on the ballot for the first time. 

Brees was the league's all-time leader in passing yards and completions when he retired (since passed by Tom Brady) and was second in touchdown passes. He was a 13-time Pro Bowl selection. He landed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent in 2006 because the San Diego Chargers believed that Brees might have had a career-threatening shoulder injury. Brees led the league in passing yards seven times and touchdowns four times. -- ESPN

Brees and the other 2026 candidates all retired in 2020, so they will now be eligible. Bill Belichick is also going to be another notable name involved in the class in his first year of HOF eligibility. 

There's no way around it. Brees' impact on the league and New Orleans, his statistics, and records should hold plenty of weight to get in on the first ballot. 

Very few other quarterbacks hold the personal grounding of him when it comes to yearly and overall numbers. Not to mention, he brought the Saints their team's first Super Bowl title when they needed it the most.