Five former NFL stars got their gold jackets and busts Saturday in Canton, and the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony delivered plenty of memorable moments.
Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri, Luke Kuechly and Roger Craig each had their turn in the spotlight in front of a packed crowd, and every one of them brought something different to the stage.
Brees had one of the day’s biggest moments. Sean Payton presented him, and a crowd that included Michael Thomas, Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston was there to watch the Saints great take his place in Canton.
Brees used his speech to send a powerful message back to New Orleans, the city he helped reshape after arriving in 2006, the Saints’ first season back at the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina. The 13-time Pro Bowler led New Orleans to its first Super Bowl title in 2010, and his enshrinement felt like a full-circle finish.
Larry Fitzgerald’s moment was built around family and memory. His son, Devin, presented the Cardinals icon and helped unveil the bust, and Fitzgerald’s speech included a special shoutout to Randy Moss. That connection carried extra weight because Fitzgerald grew up in Minnesota and once worked as a ball boy for the Vikings while Moss was there.
Adam Vinatieri’s speech mixed emotion with a heavy dose of comedy. The legendary kicker had relatives in tears, then turned around and took aim at Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Pat McAfee.
Belichick and Brady were not in attendance, even though Vinatieri won Super Bowls with Brady and also played with Manning. His line about McAfee stood out the most: he said McAfee is “the only person who enjoyed holding my balls more than my wife.”
Luke Kuechly’s enshrinement came with a personal touch, as his dad helped introduce the former Panthers linebacker. Panthers fans in the crowd made sure Kuechly felt the love again on his big day.
Roger Craig, the senior category inductee, got a long-awaited moment of his own. His reaction to seeing his bust was priceless, and he also delivered a prerecorded speech that turned deeply personal. Craig revealed that he has been diagnosed with vascular dementia and said doctors believe it is likely tied in part to the concussions he suffered during his playing career.
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