No Broncos players reach semifinalist stage for 2026 Hall of Fame class

Back in September, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its list of 128 modern-era players who were nominees for the Class of 2026. With a dozen former Broncos players on the list, fans were hopeful that they would see one of those guys make it all the way to the end.

The 12 players were Jurrell Casey, Jamaal Charles, Ryan Clady, Vernon Davis, Elvis Dumervil, Brandon Lloyd, Brandon Marshall, Tom Nalen, Simeon Rice, Rod Smith, Ted Washington and Wes Welker. Some of those guys just spent a season or two in the Mile High City, while some spent the majority of their careers here in Denver, but at the end of the day, all of them are Broncos.

On Tuesday, the list of 26 players who made it to the semifinalist stage were announced, and none of the 12 Broncos players made the cut.

Twenty six candidates in the Modern-Era Players category have reached the Semifinalist stage for possible election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. pic.twitter.com/V0L5uIqbfw

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 25, 2025

The list of players who did make the cut is elite, highlighted by Sean Payton’s former quarterback in Drew Brees It was always going to be tough for some of these Broncos players to get the nod over these legends, but many of them will have more chances to get a gold jacket in their name.

The most deserving Bronco on that list is likely Rod Smith, who didn’t make the semifinal cut at receiver in lieu of Larry Fitzgerald, Torry Holt, Steve Smith Sr., Hines Ward and Reggie Wayne. Smith spent all 12 of his years in Denver and was consistently one of the best receivers in the league. He finished with 11,389 yards and 68 touchdowns, and only had four seasons in which he didn’t eclipse the 1,000-yard mark. His 113 receptions in 2001 led the league, and he has three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections under his belt.

While the players had their runs cut short, two Broncos coaches recently advanced to the semifinalist stage in Mike Shanahan and Dan Reeves. They are now waiting to see if they will be the lone coach selected as the finalist for the Class of 2026.

Even if no one in orange and blue gets selected this time around, it’s still great to see so many former Broncos be recognized in some capacity for their accomplishments in the NFL. This is a storied franchise that’s seen lots of great players take the field throughout the last 65 years.

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