The Pro Football Hall of Fame has never had 2 tight ends inducted in the same class — if logic prevails, that streak is coming to an end in 2027 thanks to 1 Dallas Cowboys legend.
On the eve of the 2026 class induction on Saturday in Canton, Ohio, NFL.com’s Grant Gordon predicts the 2027 class will feature New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski as a first-ballot inductee and Cowboys tight end Jason Witten in his 2nd year of eligibility.
“Will two tight ends head to Canton in the same class?” Gordon wrote. “It’s never happened before, but can Witten really be denied again? In 16 seasons with the Cowboys (17 in his career), Witten went to the Pro Bowl 11 times. Tony Gonzalez’s 14 selections are the most all-time for a tight end, with Witten and Travis Kelce (11 currently) trailing him. Those 11 selections are tied for 17th most across all positions. Tom Brady (15; most all-time), Trent Williams (12), and Kelce are the only players with 11 or more Pro Bowl selections who are not Hall of Famers. Eventually, they will have a spot in Canton. Witten’s 1,228 receptions (second all-time among tight ends), 13,046 yards (second) and 74 touchdown catches (sixth) are too prominent to ignore. The 2012 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year was consistently stellar. The Cowboys’ postseason struggles and being just a two-time first-team All-Pro could hinder him, but Witten was pivotal in the ascension of the position over the last quarter-century. So, it makes sense for him to be part of the Hall of Fame’s first-ever two-tight end class.”
Witten’s Contentious Path to Hall of Fame
Anyone who knows football and knows Witten’s career could have predicted Witten’s path to the Hall of Fame wasn’t going to be smooth — specifically because the lack of team success.
The 2026 class has 5 inductees, which includes just 2 1st-ballot Hall of Famers in quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. In a good omen for Witten, there are also 2 players being inducted who were in their 2nd year of eligibility in linebacker Luke Kuechly and kicker Adam Vinatieri.
San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig is the 5th inductee from the Senior Category.
The Cowboys had 2 players inducted in 2023 with DeMarcus Ware and Chuck Howley.
Looking at Witten’s Pro Football HOF Credentials
Witten was a 3rd-round pick (No. 69 overall) by the Cowboys out of the University of Tennessee in the 2003 NFL draft and played 17 seasons in the NFL — 16 with the Cowboys and his final season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
Witten finished his career with 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns and was a 4-time NFL All-Pro and 11-time Pro Bowler. Witten is 2nd among tight ends in both career receptions and receiving yards behind Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez.
“For more than a decade, Witten was one of the best, most reliable players at his position, but not playing in even an NFC Championship Game will dent his chances,” Sports Illustrated’s Richie Whitt wrote in August 2025. “Witten will earn his way into Canton, but because of crowded classes in 2026 (Brees, Fitzgerald, Belichick), 2027 (Ben Roethlisberger, Adrian Peterson, Gronk), and 2028 (Tom Brady, J.J. Watt, Richard Sherman), he might be forced to wait until the 2029 when Aaron Donald is the only slam dunk.”
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