5 Takeaways From The 2026 Pro Football Hall Of Fame Ceremony

Saturday was showtime in Canton, Ohio, as the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s five inductees saw their busts for the first time. In front of a packed house at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri, Luke Kuechly and Roger Craig all had a chance to say thank you to those who helped them achieve the ultimate goal of wearing a gold jacket, which they all received at the annual dinner on Friday night. Here are some highlights from the big day for the five players, who bring the total to 387 busts in Canton. Payton, the former New Orleans Saints and current Denver Broncos head coach, had to hold back tears while talking about what Brees meant to him during his introductory remarks. “We were better coaches when he was our starting quarterback,” said Payton, who presented Brees. “We were a better team when he was our leader. Drew, it has been an honor to have a front-row seat watching you play quarterback for the Saints at such a high level. “You made my job easy, and all of us are better for having been a part of this with you.” Brees closed out the five presentations with an entertaining, heartfelt and emotional speech. It paid tribute to an ultra-competitive family that pushed him to reach his potential, as well as the bumps along the road he had to hurdle to become better at his craft. “I don’t take for granted that I got to play the most coveted position of all of sports,” Brees said. “From as far back as I could remember, I wanted to play quarterback. I never saw the position as pressure, but rather one of great responsibility.” “The quarterback is the distributor of hope and confidence, a master of probability,” he added. “The ultimate problem solver. I’ve always seen the game of football and quarterback as a true art form, as a song or a dance. The key to the art form was controlling the rhythm of the game.” A former Minnesota Vikings ball boy back when receivers Randy Moss and Cris Carter lit up the scoreboard in the 1990s for head coach Dennis Green, Fitzgerald followed in their footsteps by earning a gold jacket. He is one of the best receivers in NFL history, having been drafted by Green, ironically, when he took over as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Fitzgerald said he didn’t glean anything from Moss as a player because he could do so many things that others couldn’t do on the field. As a mentor, Fitzgerald said he took the out-of-this-world receiver’s generosity and willingness to help others. Presenting Fitzgerald was his son, Devin, who followed in his father’s footsteps and is playing receiver at Notre Dame. The younger Fitzgerald said his father’s most memorable play, in his opinion, was the slant route he caught for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII against the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving the Cardinals a late lead. Ultimately, Pittsburgh overcame the deficit for a dramatic victory. Fitzgerald paid tribute to his parents, Larry Sr. and Carol Fitzgerald. His mother died from breast cancer while Fitzgerald was in college at Pittsburgh, while his father, a longtime sports reporter in Minnesota, passed away earlier this year. “Even though our parents, Carol and Larry, are no longer with us, I still try every day to make them proud,” Fitzgerald said. Vinatieri was presented by Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon. The third pure place kicker enshrined in the Hall, Vinatieri helped Irsay-Gordon’s father, Jim, win a Super Bowl with the Colts after the 2006 season. Irsay-Gordon said that while her father, who passed away last year, couldn’t be there, he was surely watching from above as Vinatieri received the ultimate honor of entering the Hall of Fame. “So, here I stand at the top of the mountain, the pinnacle of greatness and the highest achievement in my professional career,” Vinatieri said. “And I can officially say my biggest dreams have come true.” Vinatieri thanked his parents, Paul and Judy, who were both teary-eyed in the stands while watching their son praise them on the stage. “You gave me far more than opportunities; you gave me values,” Vinatieri said. “You taught me that hard work, humility, accountability, perseverance and faith. You taught me that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing it right.” Vinatieri paid tribute to his New England Patriots days, which included three Super Bowls with head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft, neither of whom made the cut to enter the Hall. “Your time to join us on this stage and in the Hall are right around the corner,” Vinatieri said. Vinatieri later joked: “Unfortunately, Bill couldn’t make it here today. There’s a lot going on at UNC right now. He may be on a recruiting trip looking for the next Lawrence Taylor. I thought it was because training camp had already started, but in truth, it was because he’s judging his girlfriend’s cheerleading competition.” Kuechly’s father, Tom, handled the introduction for the talented linebacker, who was a five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. “His driving influence is his desire to compete, perform to the highest that he can and win,” Tom said. Kuechly did just that with the Panthers, who went to the playoffs four times and reached a Super Bowl during his eight seasons with the team. “This game teaches you a lot if you’re willing to listen and willing to observe,” Kuechly said. “It’s taught me resilience, consistency and toughness. The value of communication and how to find common ground. And most importantly, it taught me to enjoy it along the way.” And after a 28-year wait, the first player to record 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season (1985) finally earned his gold jacket as a senior candidate. The Nebraska product joined former San Francisco 49ers teammates Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Charles Haley and Ronnie Lott in Canton. “You spend your whole life trying to prove that you belong,” Craig said in pre-recorded video remarks. “And then one day you’re told you’re one of the all-time greats. Man, it’s overwhelming.”