Patriots owner Robert Kraft nominated for induction into Pro Football Hall of Fame
Kraft is one of seven members from the Patriots' dynasty era to be nominated for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this week.
There’s a chance Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft could be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame together next summer.
Kraft has been named one of the 21 nominees in the contributor category for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. It marks the 14th year that Kraft will be considered for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Not many owners have been more successful in NFL history than Kraft. Since Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, New England has won six Super Bowls, 10 AFC titles, and 19 AFC East titles. The six Super Bowl wins and 10 AFC titles are the most ever by an owner in NFL history. Kraft has also been an influential figure in helping the NFL get record TV deals as the chairman of the league’s media committee.
Despite Kraft’s success, he hasn’t had much luck in trying to get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’s yet to be named a finalist for induction, but has been named as a semifinalist in the last couple of years.
Kraft’s mission to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame has also become a notable off-field storyline for the Patriots over the last few years. As Kraft was hoping to get inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025, a September 2024 story from ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. documented the lengths the Patriots organization has gone in its campaign to try to get the owner inducted.
Ahead of the Class of 2025 induction process, the Hall of Fame seemingly made it easier for Kraft to get inducted as it separated coaches and contributors into two different categories. But a nine-member committee advanced NFL co-founder and former Canton Bulldogs owner Ralph Hay as the finalist for induction from the contributor category.
The decision to nominate Hay over Kraft was a surprise to the 50-person committee that gets the final vote in the Hall of Fame induction process, according to Van Natta. Hay ultimately wasn’t inducted as a member of the Class of 2025 and has been nominated again in 2026.
The news of Kraft’s Hall of Fame nomination came a few days after Belichick was one of 12 coaches nominated for induction as part of the Class of 2026. Both Kraft and Belichick will find out if they’re one of the nine semifinalists for induction in their respective categories in November. One finalist in the contributor and coach categories will be picked in December.
Several other former Patriots players were also nominated for induction earlier this week. Logan Mankins, Vince Wilfork, Asante Samuel, Rodney Harrison, and Adam Vinatieri were among the 52 modern-era players nominated for induction as part of the Class of 2026. A committee will pick 25 players from that group to be named as semifinalists in November before establishing 15 finalists in December.
A total of 20 finalists (15 modern-era players, three senior era players, one coach, one contributor) will be presented for induction to the selection committee for one final vote ahead of Super Bowl LX in February. While there’s no set number of how many people can be enshrined, the bylaws stipulate that four to eight new members will be selected for induction into the Hall of Fame.
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