Robert Kraft not picked for 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class
The Patriots owner, who has won six Super Bowls since buying the team in 1994, will have to wait at least another year.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft has not been selected as a member of this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Kraft, who has won six Super Bowls as an owner, was among a group of 12 coaches and contributors being considered.
The committee picked former Chargers and Cardinals coach Don Coryell as this year’s finalist from the group. He will be enshrined if he gets at least 80 percent of the vote in January.
The selection comes posthumously for Coryell, who died in 2010.
A pioneering offensive coach, Coryell helped revolutionize the game by taking advantage of new passing rules in the 1970’s. He also mentored the late Super Bowl champion coach turned broadcasting legend John Madden. He was the first coach to win 100 games in college football and pro football.
The other names considered along with Kraft and Coryell were: Roone Arledge, Mike Holmgren, Frank Kilroy, Art Modell, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Art Rooney Jr., Mike Shanahan, Clark Shaughnessy and John Wooten.
Kraft will have to wait until at least next year to hear his name called.
The Patriots have enjoyed the league’s highest winning percentage since Kraft took over in 1994.
The six Super Bowls wins are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most of any franchise. New England has made an NFL-record 11 Super Bowl appearances, 10 of which came under Kraft’s leadership.
The most recent owner to be enshrined was Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys in 2017. There are 15 owners in the Hall-of-Fame.
The Hall-of-Fame announced three finalists from the senior division and will announce up to five modern-era finalists for the 2023 class at a later date.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com