Former Kansas City Chiefs QB Alex Smith nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement for the first time
Pro Football Hall of Fame modern-era nominees for the Class of 2026 are officially in.
A beloved Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has been selected as a first-time nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026.
Alex Smith was selected among 128 modern-era nominees in his first year of eligibility. The former No. 1 overall pick out of Utah by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft, Smith kicked off the Andy Reid era in 2013, when the Chiefs traded two picks to the Niners to acquire him. In five seasons in Kansas City, Smith appeared in 81 combined regular-season and postseason games, completing 65.1% of his passes for 18,858 yards, 111 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions. He had a 50-26 regular-season record as a starter, but failed to generate much success in the playoffs with only one win in four tries. That one win (2015 Texans Wild-Card Game), however, was the Chiefs’ first playoff win since the 1993 playoffs, ending a two-decade drought.
What he’s most known for during his time in Kansas City is being a mentor to Chiefs starting QB Patrick Mahomes during the 2017 NFL season. He helped teach Mahomes the habits that he needed to usher in an unprecedented era of success for the club. That might not be quantifiable for the Hall of Fame committee, but it’ll always make him an essential part of this particular era.
Making the case for Alex Smith as a Pro Football Hall of Famer
Smith doesn’t exactly have the traditional accolades required of a Pro Football Hall of Famer. In fact, it’s probably safe to say he faces an uphill battle for enshrinement. He was selected for the Pro Bowl three times (2013, 2016, 2017) during his 14-year NFL career, all of which came during his tenure with the Chiefs. During that 2017 season, he led the NFL in passer rating, but unfortunately, stats like that don’t carry much weight with the Hall of Fame enshrinement committee. He won the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award with the Washington Commanders after overcoming a serious and gruesome leg injury to come back and play. Other former Comeback Player of the Year players who have been selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame include Bryant Young, Peyton Manning, and Lenny Moore. Let’s say the list of accolades those players have far exceeds Smith’s.
While Smith likely faces an uphill battle for enshrinement, he’s just one of the eight former Chiefs players nominated this year.
8 modern-era Chiefs nominated for the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame
- QB Alex Smith
- RB Priest Holmes
- RB Thomas Jones
- RB Jamaal Charles
- RB LeSean McCoy
- OG Brian Waters
- LB Terrell Suggs
- S Eric Berry
The next steps in selecting the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2026
In the next step in the selection process, the list of 128 nominees will be reduced to 50. The Pro Football Hall of Fame will announce the results of that reduction in mid-October. The entire 50-person Hall of Fame selection committee will convene to reduce the list to 25 semifinalists later this fall, while another vote will be held ahead of Super Bowl LX to determine the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026. Remember, these classes can consist of anywhere from three to five modern-era players according to current Hall of Fame bylaws.
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