With the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class being selected, the attention now turns to those eligible to be elected next year. Players who last took the field in 2020 are eligible for the first time in 2026, a group that’s led by Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Philip Rivers, Frank Gore and Jason Witten.
Somehow, Todd Gurley is also already eligible for the first time.
Gurley, 30, played his last NFL snaps in 2020 with the Falcons, which was just his sixth season in the league. That makes him a first-time eligible next year in what’s a strong class that will also feature Torry Holt, who will be in his 12th year of eligibility after being snubbed again this year.
Gurley played only six years in the NFL, five with the Rams. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, AP Offensive Player of the Year and two-time first-team All-Pro.
First-time eligibles for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 include:
🏈Larry Fitzgerald
🏈Drew Brees
🏈Philip Rivers
🏈Jason Witten
🏈Frank Gore
🏈Julian Edelman
🏈Maurkice Pouncey
🏈LeSean McCoy
🏈Thomas Davis
🏈Greg Olsen
🏈Alex Smith
🏈Dez Bryant
🏈Stephen Gostkowski… pic.twitter.com/5n2VjFfoG8— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2025
His career was brief but incredibly productive, leading the NFL in total touchdowns in back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018. He even finished second in MVP voting in 2017, which was his first season in Sean McVay’s offense.
Gurley was the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft out of Georgia. His career was cut short by knee injuries, but he played at least 12 games in all six seasons and at least 15 games four times, so he was actually fairly durable for a running back.
Gurley’s case for the Hall of Fame is hurt by how short his career was but in his prime, there was no other running back in the NFL who could match his production.
