Overview
- The Radio Hall of Fame announced Esiason as one of eight 2026 inductees on Wednesday, placing him in a class that includes Bob Pittman, Rickey Smiley, Dennis Green, Charlie Van Dyke, Helen Little, Fred Winston, and Shotgun Tom Kelly.
- Esiason reacted on air by thanking former and current colleagues and crediting WFAN executives who gave him early radio opportunities, saying he never expected the honor when he began at the station.
- Former WFAN colleague Chris Russo publicly said he did not vote for Esiason, a disclosure he made on his show after congratulating him, but the Hall’s announcement stands.
- The induction ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 8, 2026, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago, where the class will be formally honored.
- Esiason’s selection highlights the close link between his second career in radio and his earlier profile as a 14-year NFL quarterback and 1988 NFL MVP, and it reinforces WFAN’s outsized role in shaping sports radio talent and legacy.