Six former Eagles keep their Hall of Fame hopes alive, advancing to next round

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced 52 modern-era players nominated for the 2026 class.

Several former Eagles players have advanced past the initial 128, which was revealed in September. Moving forward, the list will be reduced to 25 Semifinalists (plus ties, if any, for the 25th position), and the Semifinalists will be announced in about five weeks. 

Running Backs: LeSean McCoy, Ricky Watters, Brian Mitchell

All three initial nominees have advanced to the second round of selection, which includes McCoy, Watters, and Mitchell.

McCoy rushed for more than 11,000 yards in his NFL career, with his best season coming as an Eagle in 2013, when McCoy led the NFL with 1,607 rushing yards (a franchise record at the time) and earned first-team All-Pro honors. McCoy made three Pro Bowls in his six seasons in Philadelphia. He made another three Pro Bowls with the Buffalo Bills after being traded to them from Philly. McCoy totaled six Pro Bowls, along with two Super Bowl championships with the Chiefs and the Buccaneers in the final two seasons of his career.

Watters spent three seasons with the Eagles, earning Pro Bowl honors in two of them. Watters is in the top seven in Eagles history in rushing yards and touchdowns despite only playing 48 games for the franchise. He was also a semi-finalist in 2025.

While Mitchell is more known as a kick returner, he was technically a running back. Mitchell is the all-time leader in punt return yards (4,999) and kick return yards (14,014), finishing his career with over 23,000 all-purpose yards.

Defensive Backs: Troy Vincent, Asante Samuel

Samuel and Vincent cut while Allen Rossum is left off the final 52. Samuel earned three Pro Bowl nods in four seasons with the Eagles, while starting 133 games over 11 NFL seasons.

Troy Vincent earned five Pro Bowls with the Eagles as one of the best cornerbacks in franchise history. He also served as the NFLPA President, while remaining active in players' and community affairs since the end of his playing days. Vincent is currently the NFL's Executive Vice President of Football Operations.

Bonus: Haloti Ngata

It's worth noting as well that Ngata is also listed as a nominee for this class. In his lone season with the Eagles, he appeared in 13 games and had 17 tackles, including a sack, during the 2018 season. Overall, Ngata earned five Pro Bowls, five All-Pros, and a championship ring with the Ravens in 2012.

The Eagles saw Rossum, Sean Landeta, David Akers, Randall Cunningham, Jeff Garcia, and Donovan McNabb all fall off the initial nomination list. The nominees will be voted on by each member of the Hall of Fame’s full 50-person Selection Committee, which reviews the remaining 52 players and votes for the 25 nominees each member believes should advance to the Semifinalist stage. The 2026 Hall of Fame enshrinement is set to take place next August