Projecting the NFL’s next 10 Hall of Fame QBs after Drew Brees, from Tom Brady to active hopefuls

Projecting the NFL’s next 10 Hall of Fame QBs after Drew Brees, from Tom Brady to active hopefuls originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Drew Brees is the 33rd quarterback from the NFL’s modern era (since the 1970) merger to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With his 2026 enshrinement, he is the first QB to get the call to Canton in five years, since Peyton Manning in 2021.

Brees is bound to have plenty of gold jacket and bronze bust company soon. Between recent retired greats and active MVP-caliber superstars, expect a steadier flow of players from the game’s most prized position to join him in being immortalized.

Although Brees did win a Super Bowl ring with the Saints, he is one of the best all-time QBs to never been named league MVP. Brees, however, will make it 16 Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks to make the Hall, a list that will expand again soon. It also is notable that all 6 of the eligible retired quarterbacks who did win regular-season MVP more than once are in the Hall of Fame. 

From 2027 to well beyond, here’s projecting the next 10 quarterbacks who will get voted into the Hall, first ballot or otherwise:

MORE:Who is in the NFL’s Hall of Fame class of 2026?

Future Hall of Fame retired quarterbacks

Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Ben Roethlisberger (eligible in 2027)

Roethlisberger won two Super Bowl rings. Of the 13 quarterbacks who have won more than one, eight are in the Hall of Fame. Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes will be in. Eli Manning and Jim Plunkett remain out. Big Ben fits more in the Brady and Mahomes camp with a strong overall body of work.

Through his 18 seasons, Roethlisberger made six Pro Bowls. For now, his 64,088 yards are seventh all-time, with the six men in front of him either current or surefire future Hall of Famers. He might get knocked a little for early off-field concerns, but he also was a long-time big, tough starter for one of the league’s most successful franchises.

Roethlisberger isn’t sure ot be first-ballot, but he should get the nod to trade Black and Gold for a gold jacket sometime soon.

Tom Brady (eligible in 2028)

There’s not much to say here when someone is considered the GOAT. Seven Super Bowl rings, six All-Pro nods and three MVPs stand out, but he’s won everything else a quarterback can through a 23-year career and holds most of the game’s passing records. Even with Deflategate and Spygate, Brady won’t be “Bill Belichicked” and will get in right away as a dominant first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Matt Ryan (eligible in 2028)

Ryan may not seem like an obvious choice, but he is one epic Brady-led comeback short of winning a Super Bowl and also has an MVP to his credit along with his four Pro Bowl nods. He also ranks a current ninth behind Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers with 62,792 passing yards and cracks the top 10 with 381 touchdown passes.

Playing for so long at a consistent high level for the Falcons helps, because he also is one of the most likable and personable QBs of his era, endearing to Atlanta’s sports media and fans. He likely will need to wait a little after ’28, but Ryan definitely has the modern numbers and accolades to claim his spot.

Philip Rivers (eligible in 2030)

Rivers came back out of retirement to play for the Colts in 2026 and although that delayed his eligibility for Canton, it provided a reminder of what a durable, cerebral gamer he was. Rivers matched Eli Manning as a tough ironman and then put up some big stats more to match Big Ben, their other 2004 first-round draft mate.

Rivers is a current 8th with his 63,984 passing yards and sixth with 425 TDs. He also made 8 Pro Bowls in 18 seasons. There was no Super Bowl appearance but that’s the only knock-able part of his resume.

MORE:Best Pro Football Hall of Fame candidates eligible in 2027

Future Hall of Fame active quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers (eligible in 2032)

Rodgers will be retiring early in 2027 after his final NFL season for the Steelers. Although his off-field weirdness and on-field fade after his time with the Packers are fresh in the mind, he would have been a shoot

Matthew Stafford

Stafford’s prolific passing as a Lion needed some heft with some big team and individual wins. He changed the narrative as a Ram with his immediate playoff success in their Super Bowl 56 run and stamped that with his late-career MVP turn in 2025. The numbers and accolades are getting bigger while he gets older and he still has multiple seasons left to build his case. There’s a fair chance he makes it two Super Bowl rings with Myles Garrett and a loaded Los Angeles roster in ’26. The only question now is whether Stafford is first-ballot.

Patrick Mahomes

Presuming Mahomes retires well after Stafford, he will just need to wait five years after that to join Brady and Rodgers as a no-brainer first-ballot. Mahomes can quit now from the Chiefs and still be called for the Hall. Now the watch is on to see if he can displace Brady as the GOAT.

Lamar Jackson

Jackson hasn’t led the Ravens to a Super Bowl, but he already has joined the multiple-MVP club to almost put his future Hall of Fame nod on lock. His leadership and dual threat for Baltimore has been incredible when healthy and staying durable to play a long time is the only thing that can keep him from Canton.

Josh Allen 

Allen has his MVP and is putting up big-time passing and rushing numbers, living up to his unprecedented combination of size, toughness, big arm and athleticism. Like Jackson, filling the Super Bowl gap in his resume would help. But he’s one of this era’s best all-around QBs and deserves to stay mentioned in the same breath of Mahomes and Jackson when it comes to the Hall, too.

Joe Burrow

Burrow has teased and flashed his all-time passing skills, but he is danger of joining Andrew Luck, another No. 1 overall pick whose mounting injuries cut short what had the potential to be a promising long career. If Burrow can string to together many healthy high-producing seasons that includes more playoff success and a return to the Super Bowl, he can get back on his early Hall of Fame track. Should that happen, he’ll trade those Comeback Player of Year awards for at least one Canton-boosting MVP.

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Hall of Fame honorable mentions

Eli Manning (eligible now)

Manning has a fair case because of his two Super Bowl rings, but his last name and classy personality representing the Giants well for his entire haven’t been enough to move the needle much early, which isn’t a good sign for later with a lot more QBs in the Hall queue. He did get to four Pro Bowls, but overall doesn’t have stats and honors that stack up with his passing contemporaries. He would not be “unworthy” of the Hall, but it will be difficult to convince the voting committee.

MORE: Why Eli Manning still deserves Hall of Fame nod

Russell Wilson (eligible in 2031)

Wilson, when examining his numbers and accolades without considering his polarizing post-Seahawks presence, can stack up with most contemporary QBs, with a Super Bowl ring to boot balancing out his lack of MVP award. His shaky departure from Seattle following by forgettable stints with the Broncos, Steelres and Giants add a cloud of controversy. Wilson might get in when enough time passes to reflect more on the early efficiency and durability of his career, but it likely will require a long wait.

MORE:Why Russell Wilson has such a split Hall of Fame case

Joe Flacco

Flacco has a Super Bowl ring and is impressing with his longevity by extending his career well beyond his Ravens’ heyday. But he lacks the required numbers and honors (no Pro Bowls) to support his winning and one spectacular playoff run.

Cam Newton (eligible in 2027)

Newton won his MVP and lost his one Super Bowl trip a year before his NFC South rival Ryan. But he was bothered by plenty of injuries and settled for only 3 Pro Bowls in his 11 seasons. His first five seasons had him on the trajectory, but once 2016 hit and issues with knee and shoulder became more prominent, he never could regain his status as a dynamic leader to fit his immense physical talent.