Two legendary Cowboys left out of the 2026 Hall of Fame class

The 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class has been officially announced. While some legends are preparing their speeches, others are left wondering what more they could have possibly done. This year’s inductees include quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, kicker Adam Vinatieri, linebacker Luke Kuechly, and running back Roger Craig.

In a move that shocked many, legendary coach Bill Belichick did not make the cut and was left on the outside looking in during his first year of eligibility. It seems the selection committee decided that six Super Bowl rings as a head coach aren’t enough to earn a permanent seat in Canton. While that’s unfortunate for Bill, that’s not the snub(s) fans of the Dallas Cowboys care about.

Cowboys’ legendary tight end, Jason Witten, was also not selected. Witten’s career is defined by a level of durability and consistency that borders on superhuman. Over 17 seasons, all but one with the Cowboys, Witten amassed 1,228 receptions and 13,046 receiving yards, ranking him second all-time among tight ends in both categories. He was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2012, proving he was just as impactful off the field as he was on it.

Beyond the raw totals, Witten’s reliability was his greatest asset. He played in 271 games, including a remarkable streak of 235 consecutive games, often suiting up with injuries that would have sent most people to the emergency room. Whether he was catching passes with a broken jaw or famously running down the field without a helmet, Witten was the ultimate safety blanket for his quarterbacks. One has to assume the Hall of Fame voters were like opposing defenders on third down, who, for whatever reason, just completely lost track of him.

In what has become a regular thing now, Darren Woodson also didn’t make the list. Again. Woodson remains one of the most versatile and feared defensive players in the history of the Cowboys. As a cornerstone of the ‘90s dynasty, he helped lead the team to three Super Bowl championships. He retired as the franchise’s all-time leading tackler with 1,350 career tackles, a record that still stands today. Throughout his 12-year career, he earned five Pro Bowl selections and was named a first-team All-Pro three times.

Woodson was the prototype for the modern hybrid safety, possessing the speed to hang with receivers and the physicality to flatten ball carriers. He showed the ability to impact the game from anywhere on the field. His exclusion from the Hall of Fame remains an annoying omission for Cowboys fans. One has to think that eventually his time will come. Finding a way to sway the Hall of Fame voters is the last thing he needs to tackle.

The exclusion of Witten and Woodson from the 2026 Hall of Fame class is nothing short of a double-dip of disappointment for Cowboys fans. Gold jacket or not, both players are the gold standard at their respective positions, combining individual achievements with a team-first mentality that made them such fan favorites in Dallas. Leaving these two out of Canton feels wrong, but hopefully, in time, they’ll both get what they’ve earned.