The New England Patriots are 0 for 2 in Hall of Fame entries for the 2026 class.
About a week after news leaked of legendary Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snubbing, The Athletic reported Tuesday that Patriots owner Robert Kraft would not be a part of the class of 2026 either.
Kraft has owned the Patriots since 1994 and has overseen a record-setting 11 AFC championships, including their most recent this season. Kraft’s six Super Bowl rings are the most of any individual owner.
The Pats can surpass the Pittsburgh Steelers for most Super Bowl wins by a single franchise with a win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The full list of 2026 Hall of Fame inductees will be announced at NFL Honors on Thursday.
Robert Kraft Was Denied Entry Into The Pro Football Hall of Fame
The case could be made Kraft is the second-most influential owner over his tenure, behind only Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys.
Aside from the unprecedented success overseeing two modern-day Patriots dynasties — and counting — Kraft built the Patriots’ new home Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which opened in 2002. He has also been influential in helping the NFL’s growth by advising commissioner Roger Goodell through media-rights negotiations.
Yet, all that could not land the 84-year-old a bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on the first ballot. So even though he was a finalist for Hall of Fame induction, like his coach-turned-nemesis Belichick and Super Bowl adversary Eli Manning, Kraft will not get a gold jacket in 2026.
Entry Into The Hall of Fame Was Made More Difficult This Year
It used to be that the NFL would induct five-to-seven honorees annually to Canton. Yet, apparently those days are over.
According to The Athletic’s Chad Graff, the induction process was made more difficult for the class of 2026.
“The Pro Football Hall of Fame changed its rules this year, which made it more difficult for candidates to be enshrined,” Graff reported. “There are 50 Hall of Fame voters, each of whom casts three votes among the five candidates; a candidate must receive at least 40 votes to gain entry.”
The 80% majority is now even more stringent than the 75% required of Baseball Hall of Fame, though it is hard to imagine 11 high-profile football watchers who could reasonably deny Kraft or Belichick entry based on their resumes.
Instead, as ESPN reported, Kraft and Belichick being denied on their first year on the ballot likely is due to the Spygate and Deflategate scandals. Longtime NFL executive Bill Polian reportedly influenced enough voters to negate Belichick’s candidacy.
“A voter who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Polian, an ardent Kraft supporter and former general manager of the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts — a chief Patriots rival during their dynasty — told some voters he believed Belichick should “wait a year” before induction as penance for Spygate,” ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. reported Jan. 27.
Despite the snubbing of both Kraft and Belichick, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell feels both will end up with a bust in Canton.
“Bill Belichick’s record goes without saying,” Goodell said at his annual state of the league press conference. “Same with the Patriots’ Robert Kraft, who is also a candidate. They are spectacular. They contribute so much to this game, and I believe they’ll be Hall of Famers.”
- Pat Pickens
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