Robert Kraft reportedly snubbed again in latest Pro Football Hall of Fame bid
"I don't know how he is seen as more deserving than Bob Kraft."
Rober Kraft will need to wait a bit longer for a spot in Canton.
According to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., Kraft has been passed over by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s contributor committee once again — removing him from consideration for induction in the Class of 2025.
The nine-member committee, which each year pushes forward one name for consideration by all 50 Hall voters, selected Ralph Hay — a co-founder of the NFL — for consideration among football’s contributors.
According to Van Natta, this marks the 13th year that Kraft was considered by a Hall committee but did not advance into consideration for induction.
The 83-year-old Kraft was among the nine semifinalists in the contributor category for the Hall’s Class of 2025 — alongside Hay, Bud Adams, Bucko Kilroy, Art Modell, Art Rooney Jr., Seymour Siwoff, Doug Williams, and John Wooten.
Citing several anonymous sources, Van Natta reported that there was a genuine surprise that Kraft lost out to Hay in terms of getting signed off by the contributor committee.
“It’s a huge surprise,” one source told Van Natta. “And it’s very disappointing. Unless you are an NFL historian, you don’t know who Ralph Hay is.”
“Hay didn’t believe players should be paid,” another source told Van Natta. “He sold the [Canton Bulldogs] after only four years. I don’t know how he is seen as more deserving than Bob Kraft.”
Earlier this year, Van Natta published an extensive story detailing Kraft and the Patriots’ efforts toward earning his induction in Canton.
Several factors have reportedly steered committee members away from approving Kraft as a Hall-of-Fame finalist — especially after the team’s “Spygate” scandal in 2007.
“Some voters believe he was part of the biggest cheating scandal in NFL history,” a veteran Hall of Fame voter told Van Natta. “That’s a very tough one to overcome.”
“Kraft has distanced himself from Spygate, but it did come up — it has to be considered,” another voter told Van Natta.
The Apple TV+ docuseries “The Dynasty” also reportedly rankled some committee members.
“Both projects depicted Kraft deftly managing the egos of two all-time greats, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, to keep the hit-making band together as long as possible,” Van Natta wrote. “Some voters told ESPN they believe both projects were intended to juice Kraft’s Hall of Fame candidacy. A Patriots spokesperson adamantly denied the projects were part of any push to get Kraft into Canton. And last winter, Kraft said he had no influence on the docuseries and was “disappointed” with the film.”
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