PATRIOTS OWNER ROBERT KRAFTS REPORTEDLY GETS VERDICT ON HALL OF FAME

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

TOM BRADY INDUCTED INTO PATRIOTS HALL OF FAME, NO. 12 RETIRED

 

"It wasn’t me, it wasn’t you, it was us,” Tom Brady said of his former coach in New England, Bill Belichick. "Let me make this crystal clear -- there is no coach in the world I would rather play for than Bill Belichick." New England Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- In a sold-out ceremony in front of more than 60,000 fans at Gillette Stadium, Tom Brady was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame Wednesday night, with owner Robert Kraft announcing that his jersey No. 12 will never be worn again in New England.

In addition, Kraft said a statue of Brady measuring 12 feet tall will be unveiled during the 2024 season, something the franchise has never done before.

"Our goal was to create a once-in-a-lifetime ceremony for a one-in-a-kind player. I hope we accomplished that goal with a few firsts," Kraft said.

Brady capped off the three-hour program with a rousing speech that was at times fiery, emotional, inspirational and humorous. He called it a "monumental moment" in his life, expressed his thanks to Kraft, and concluded by saying: "I am eternally grateful. I am Tom Brady. And I am a Patriot."

Brady's 20 years with the franchise from 2000-19 produced six Super Bowl championships and 17 AFC East titles before he finished his career playing three seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning another Super Bowl.

More than 100 of his teammates and former coaches attended the Hall of Fame ceremony, including Bill Belichick, which marked the first time Belichick was back at Gillette Stadium since he and the Patriots parted ways in January after 24 seasons.

Brady noted the presence of Belichick, who was one of the night's featured speakers earlier in the night and received a thunderous ovation.

"Thank you for your tireless commitment to develop and push me to be my very best. It wasn't me, it wasn't you, it was us," Brady said. "Let me make this crystal clear - there is no coach in the world I would rather play for than Bill Belichick."

Belichick had concluded his remarks with a similar message for Brady.

"Thank you for all that you've done for us. Thank you for all you've done for me. And thank you for the example and model that you've been for all of us, on a daily basis, for 20 years," Belichick said. "You're unbelievable."

The night included a few surprises for Brady, including the presence of his longtime rival Peyton Manning, who insisted that he deliver his remarks in person after noting that Brady was there for him at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in 2021.

Singer Kenny Chesney was on hand to perform a live version of his song "The Boys of Fall" and rapper Jay-Z sang "Public Service Announcement" -- the song that played when Brady took the field during the second half of his Patriots career.

Brady's parents, sisters and extended family were all in attendance, and Brady often showed his emotions when mentioning them throughout the night.

"It is so difficult to put into words what this night means to me and our entire family," he said.

- Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer