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

TOM BRADY'S NETFLIX ROAST FEATURES LOTS OF HUMOR, REUNION BETWEEN ROBERT KRAFT AND BILL BELICHICK

AP Photo 

 INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Three months before Tom Brady gets roasted by critics as Fox Sports' top NFL analyst, he took his share of barbs from comedians, former teammates and his longtime coach Sunday night during a made-for-streaming comedy live event on Netflix.

And it is safe to say after the one liners and jokes Brady heard during three hours of “The Greatest Roast of All Time” at The Forum, he will do just fine.

“It’s like a football game. You run with a game plan, and then you get to see kind of how the strategy goes, and then you adjust on the fly,” Brady said before the event. “This is what a locker room has been like for me for all these years. So it’s not like I’m used to people not making fun of me.”

Comedian Nikki Glaser, whose monologue was among the funniest of the night, termed the roast as “the comedians' Super Bowl” and how the competition level was ramped up because everyone wanted to one-up each other.

Brady sustained more blitzes and pressure than he did during an average NFL game as an impressive lineup of comedians, former teammates and opponents took the stage . Host Kevin Hart said before the event that no topic was off limits, and Hart went on the offensive early with jokes about Brady's ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen.

“Gisele gave you an ultimatum. She said you retire or we're done. When you got a chance to go 8-9 and all it will cost you is your wife and your kids, you've got to do what you've got to do,” Hart said, referring to Brady coming out of a brief retirement in 2022 for one more season.

The only time Brady objected to a joke was when Jeff Ross made a reference to Patriots owner Robert Kraft and massages. In 2019, Kraft originally received a misdemeanor charge that he paid for sex at a Florida massage parlor. Prosecutors later dropped the charge after courts blocked the use of video from cameras installed by police inside the massage parlors.

Brady walked up to Ross and said in his ear “don't say that (stuff) again”, but it was clearly caught on the microphone and heard by those watching the roast at home. It was not heard by those in attendance.

Later, Kraft and former Patriots coach Bill Belichick did a shot together on stage after some coaxing from Hart.

Belichick was fired in January after 24 seasons with the Patriots, and a lot has been written about friction between the six-time winning Super Bowl coach and owner over the past couple years.

After joking about this being like a reunion and “unlike many family reunions there are some people I am desperately trying to avoid”, Kraft praised Belichick for what the two accomplished.

“I want to say this is the greatest coach in the history of the game that did what no one else has done. And having Tom Brady and him was the greatest honor the good Lord gave me,” Kraft said.

It wasn't the first shot (of alcohol) that Belichick took. Rob Gronkowski got Belichick and Brady to do a shot together after his monologue. Gronkowski celebrated by spiking his shot glass.

Belichick appeared at the beginning of the roast during a pre-taped segment when he told Brady that he was “starting the roast” instead of Drew Bledsoe. Brady replaced Bledsoe in 2001 when Bledsoe was injured in a Week 2 game against the Jets and led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title that season.

“For all of you out there who think about who's responsible for the Patriots success during the time Tom and I was together — was it Tom or me — in reality the truth of the matter was it was both of us because of me,” Belichick said.

Brady did have some fun at Belichick's expense though near the end of the show.

“I've been out of the game for a minute, so I’m curious, how many Super Bowl rings have you won since I left?,” Brady said. “Maybe it’s not just the guy on the sideline. When I go to the Indy 500, I don’t ask the winning driver, `Hey, you gassed up your car?;”

Hart said before the show that he thought Brady was in a great mindset going into the event. Brady did come in well prepared, going over his monologue with a group of people, including those at Fox Sports.

“You have to be able to laugh at yourself and I love that he is doing in this forum," Hart said. "I love that he is embracing the things that some people think he runs away from. It is a celebration of greatness and we are doing it in a fun way.”

Bledsoe also said that Brady has had a sense of humor, but that this was a different stage.

“I thought he was very brave. There’s plenty of material to make fun of him on," Bledsoe said. "The truth is when you’re a professional athlete, roasting each other is kind of what we do every day in the locker room. And so, you better have thick skin going in. Now, people get to laugh along with it.”

- JOE REEDY

BILL BELICHICK LEAVING PATRIOTS AFTER 24 SEASONS, SOURCES SAY

Bill Belichick has 333 wins all time (regular season and playoffs), 14 behind Hall of Famer Don Shula. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are expected to part ways Thursday after a remarkable 24 seasons together, ending an unmatched run in NFL history that included six Super Bowl titles, league sources told ESPN.

Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft spent a good part of this week periodically meeting and discussing how each side wanted to proceed. From sources familiar with those conversations, there was said to be no conflict, no disagreement, and in the end, productive talks resulted in a mutual decision that left both sides comfortable and at ease.

Both Belichick and Kraft, as one outside party noted, "took the high road," which was fitting for an owner-coach tandem that will go down as one of the greatest and most decorated in NFL history.

Belichick, who had one year remaining on his contract, will be allowed to leave the team without the Patriots seeking compensation. He will want to continue coaching and is expected to draw interest from at least some of the other seven NFL teams that have head-coaching vacancies, quite possibly the Atlanta Falcons, league sources said.

The Patriots now will embark on their first head-coaching search in a quarter century. Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, whom the team signed to a contract extension in the offseason and Kraft has identified as a rising head-coaching candidate, projects to be a, if not the, leading candidate for the job, sources said. Mayo played for the Patriots from 2008 to 2014 and has been an assistant under Belichick since 2019.

LAST RIDE? BILL BELICHICK STILL GIVING 'MY BEST' EVERY DAY' TO PATRIOTS

USA TODAY Sports 

Considering his track record for discipline and consistency, it would be a surprise if Patriots coach Bill Belichick prematurely rode off into the sunset as he prepares for what is rumored to be his final game in New England.

Sparked by reports of owner Robert Kraft's decision on Belichick's future with the team, speculation mounted in November that New England was ready for a change at the position.

With six Super Bowl titles in 24 seasons with the Patriots, Belichick is regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all-time. But at 4-12, the Patriots are headed for their third losing season in four years since Tom Brady left in free agency.

Belichick, 71, rarely engages in discussions around hypothetical or speculative topics in his media sessions, and kept that usual nose-to-the-grindstone portrait intact on Tuesday in an interview aired on WEEI in Boston.