Robert Kraft denied spot in Hall of Fame after Bill Belichick snub

While the Patriots will be in Super Bowl 2026, there will be no Patriots headed into the Pro Hall of Fame. 

Robert Kraft joined Bill Belichick in being excluded from the Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 after failing to reach the necessary votes needed to be inducted, ESPN reported Tuesday morning, a week after news broke that the ex-Pats coach was not making it either. 

The news isn’t expected to create the same outrage that swelled after Belichick had been snubbed from the Hall in his first year on the ballot, but it marked the closest that Kraft has come to being inducted in his 14 years of eligibility. 

Kraft had been named a finalist in the contributor category and was pitted against Belichick, in a bit of an ironic twist of fate, along with senior finalists Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood.

The voters were asked to pick three of the five finalists and the one-to-three people who earn at least 40 of 50 votes would then be enshrined in Canton, Ohio. 

Kraft has a lengthy history in the NFL since he purchased the Patriots franchise in 1994, with the organization winning six Super Bowl championships and winning 374 games. 

Belichick was the head coach for all six of New England’s championships and under Kraft the organization has made 10 appearances in the Big Game. 

Kraft played a key role in ending the 2011 NFL lockout and has been a part of a number of league ownership committees.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has been in the spotlight over the past week since it came out that Belichick had not been inducted — with media, fans and others around the game raising questions about the voting process.

Kraft had voiced support for Belichick in the wake of his snubbing, telling the Associated Press in a statement that “I strongly believe Bill Belichick’s record and body of work speak for themselves.”

“As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League,” Kraft said. “He is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.”

Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after the 2023 season with Belichick now coaching at North Carolina.

After one season of Jerod Mayo coaching the team, Mike Vrabel took over and now has the team on the verge of another title.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also voiced similar comments about Belichick and Kraft when he spoke with reporters on Monday night in California. 

He also made sure to mention that the NFL is not involved with the voting process for the Hall of Fame — with the panel consisting of media members and others who have had significant roles in the NFL.

“Bill Belichick’s record goes without saying, same with the Patriots and Robert Kraft, who is also a candidate,” Goodell said. “They are spectacular. They have contributed so much to this game, and I believe they will be Hall of Famers.”