The first-ballot headliners next year include Adrian Peterson, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and tight end Rob Gronkowski. Each of those players played his last season in 2021.

And because they were among the finalists who were not selected for enshrinement this year, OLB Terrell Suggs, OT Willie Anderson and G Marshal Yanda will automatically be finalists in 2027, per the Hall of Fame’s bylaws. Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick figures to be the finalist from the coaching subcommittee once again, while Patriots owner Robert Kraft could repeat as the contributors’ finalist. Belichick and Kraft, who won six Super Bowls together in New England between 2001 and 2018, were not included in this year’s Hall of Fame class.

Roethlisberger played 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where was a two-time Super Bowl champion and a six-time Pro Bowl selection. He is seventh in career passing yards (64,088), ninth in passing touchdowns (418) and led the league in passing yards twice. The Steelers had a 165-81-1 record in his starts.

A maximum of five modern-era finalists can be selected for enshrinement each year.

17 years ago today the Steelers beat the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, a game that included special plays by James Harrison, Santonio Holmes, & Ben Roethlisberger. #Steelers #NFL @jharrison9292 @ToneTime10 @_BigBen7 #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/VR15i8EAqnpic.twitter.com/E7YxApj3m3

— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) February 1, 2026

Future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger aims to model Christ for his kids with the help of numerous athletes who speak out about their faith, making it cooler to be a Christian now than when he joined the NFL.

Check out his story in our latest mag 👇https://t.co/nKAEhmPfxJ pic.twitter.com/tuXlADX0iw

— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) January 30, 2026

“I think it’s a great hire,” said Roethlisberger. “I think it’s smart for a few reasons. There’s something to be said about a Pittsburgh guy. I know that that’s not going to win games necessarily, but he understands what it is to bleed black and gold. I know he’s coached elsewhere, but you’re telling me that deep down inside him, he didn’t always have black and gold run through his veins a little bit. There’s something there.

“Is it going to win games? Probably not. But I used the analogy on my podcast that Miami of Ohio, right, my alma mater, I wanted them to hire a Miami guy, because you know he’s not using the stepping stone, you know he loves it, he wants to be there forever.

“Mike McCarthy, you could tell in his introductory press conference, this is a big deal for him. I know people will say, well, it’s a head coaching job, it’s a big deal for anybody. There’s just something there to it. You get a guy with a lot of heart, and I’ve used this analogy a million times. I’ll pick a lineman with less talent and more heart than more talent and less heart. And people go, well, why? Because there’s something that you can’t quantify. You can’t gauge heart.

“And Mike McCarthy has heart for this team, this city, this organization, Lombardi’s, and there’s something about that. I’m just telling you.”

“I understand this team, and this city will always bleed defense and running the ball,” said Roethlisberger. “But at some point, you’ve got to keep up with the Joneses, and you got start scoring some points. And it doesn’t mean that you’re taking anything away from your defense. So that’s another reason I like this hire.

“And I would use this analogy and ask people this question. If you were going into a game or a season, say it’s a Super Bowl or it’s a full season, you had a […]