Cowboys legends Darren Woodson, Jason Witten miss out on Hall of Fame entry
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 2026 class of entries on Thursday night at the NFL Honors event, and Dallas Cowboys legends Darren Woodson and Jason Witten both missed out on earning the 40 needed votes from the 50 voters to get in.
Woodson, who retired in 2003, missed out for the 18th consecutive year and for the fourth year in a row as a finalist. Since modern-era finalists are only allotted 20 years of eligibility, Woodson will have only two more opportunities to get into the Hall of Fame before having to move to the much larger and more competitive senior category.
In 178 career games across 12 seasons — all with the Cowboys — Woodson accounted for 967 total tackles (franchise high), including 26 for loss, 23 interceptions and 36 pass deflections. He was named to five consecutive Pro Bowls and three consecutive AP All-Pro first-teams in the 1990s.
“Whoever does get in, they should be honored,” Woodson said. “It should be their day. It’s not the guys not going in. If you don’t get in, it sucks, but you still honor the guys who did make it. We should be celebrating those guys.”
Witten, who retired in 2021, missed on getting in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer after waiting the required five years since retiring to get in. He is considered one of the best tight ends of all-time and should hear his name called to Canton, Ohio, one day.
In 271 career games, Witten hauled in 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns. He was named to 11 Pro Bowls, two first-team AP All-Pro squads and was the 2012 recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
The 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, kicker Adam Vinatieri, linebacker Luke Kuechly and running back Roger Craig.
This story was originally published February 6, 2026 at 12:15 AM.
