Cowboys Legends Darren Woodson, Jason Witten Miss Out on 2026 Hall of Fame Class
The Pro Football Hall of Fame unveiled its 2026 class Thursday night at the NFL Honors, and while the spotlight shined on some all-time greats, two Dallas Cowboys legends-Darren Woodson and Jason Witten-will have to wait at least another year for their call to Canton.
For Woodson, the wait is starting to feel like a marathon with no finish line in sight. This marks the 18th year he’s been passed over, and the fourth straight as a finalist.
With only two years of modern-era eligibility remaining, the clock is ticking. After that, he’ll enter the senior category-a much more crowded and competitive pool where getting in becomes even tougher.
And here’s the thing: Woodson’s résumé stacks up with the best of them. He spent his entire 12-year career in Dallas, playing 178 games and racking up 967 tackles-a franchise record.
Add in 26 tackles for loss, 23 interceptions, and 36 pass deflections, and you’re looking at a guy who didn’t just show up-he showed out. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time First-Team All-Pro during the Cowboys’ dominant run in the 1990s.
He was the heart of those defenses, a tone-setter in the secondary, and a leader in every sense.
Still, Woodson remains gracious. “Whoever does get in, they should be honored,” he said.
“It should be their day. It’s not the guys not going in.
If you don’t get in, it sucks, but you still honor the guys who did make it. We should be celebrating those guys.”
That’s classic Woodson-team-first, even in disappointment.
As for Jason Witten, this was his first year of eligibility, and while he didn’t make it in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, his case is about as strong as they come for a tight end. Witten was a model of consistency and toughness across 17 seasons, with 1,228 receptions, 13,046 yards, and 74 touchdowns to his name.
He played in 271 games-most of them in Cowboys blue-and was named to 11 Pro Bowls and two First-Team All-Pro squads. He also took home the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2012, a testament to his impact off the field.
Witten’s time will come. His numbers, leadership, and longevity speak volumes, and few players have embodied the Cowboys’ brand of toughness and professionalism quite like him.
The 2026 Hall of Fame class features some undeniable greats: quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, kicker Adam Vinatieri, linebacker Luke Kuechly, and running back Roger Craig. Each earned their gold jacket with careers that helped shape the modern NFL.
But for Cowboys fans-and for those who watched Woodson patrol the secondary or saw Witten drag defenders on third-and-long-it’s hard not to feel like two of the franchise’s cornerstones are still waiting for their due. Their time may not be now, but it still feels like it’s coming. And when it does, it’ll be a celebration worth the wait.