Philip Rivers received positive news in his case to make the Hall of Fame. On Wednesday, he advanced along with 51 other players in the voting process. Three other Chargers also gained momentum for their HOF cases. Drew Brees, Lorenzo Neal, and Rodney Harrison also advanced to the next round of voting.
Brees is almost a guaranteed first ballot Hall of Famer at the quarterback position. The cases for Rivers, Neal, and Harrison are more marginal. Harrison and Neal have been eligible on the ballot for well over a decade. 2026 will be Rivers and Brees' first years of being eligible for the voting process.
While Chargers legend Philip Rivers probably won't get in on the first ballot, it's a good sign for future Hall of Fame voting cycles.
Rivers simply doesn't have the type of resume needed for an NFL QB to get in on the first go. Voters sent a rather similar message to Eli Manning last year, even with his two Super Bowl rings. For QBs and WRs, the HOF standard is high.
But Rivers advancing past the first stages of voting speaks to many of his contemporaries' respect for his game. He could be the classic case of a quarterback that makes it on his fifth or six ballot as opposed to his first.
The Chargers will honor Rodney Harrison at halftime of the Vikings game as he is inducted into the teams' Hall of Fame.
The current HOF eligible field will be whittled down from 52 to 25 at some point this Fall. The 15 finalists will be announced prior to Super Bowl LX.
Former Chargers HC Marty Schottenheimer also received good news in his quest to make the HOF. Earlier this week as he advanced in the separate voting for NFL coaches.