Robert Kraft’s latest Pro Football Hall of Fame bid has reportedly come up short
On Thursday night, ESPN reported Patriots owner Robert Kraft will not advance past the Semifinalist stage of voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
As the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committees continue to narrow down the list of candidates for the Class of 2025, it appears New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft won’t be a part of the next round of cuts. According to ESPN’s Don Van Natta, Kraft will not be on the final ballot this year.
For Kraft, this is now the 13th year in a row in which he’s been considered for induction but failed to make it to the main ballot. In his report, Van Natta wrote that “several voters told ESPN they were surprised that the committee did not make Kraft a finalist this year.”
Kraft, 83, was among the nine individuals chosen as Semifinalists in the Contributor category last month. The Contributor category is the path to induction for all non-players or coaches. One candidate from the Contributor category is picked to appear on the final ballot with the modern-era finalists, as well as coaching and Senior committee finalists.
On Thursday night, Van Natta reported the Contributor committee chose Ralph Hay as the representative on the final ballot this year. Hay, who died in 1944 at the age of 53, was a co-founder of the NFL. He hosted the initial meeting in 1920 that led to the formation of the league. Additionally, he also owned the Canton Bulldogs – one of the NFL’s first franchises – from 1918 to 1922. This is Hay’s first year as a finalist.
Kraft has owned the Patriots since 1994. Under Kraft’s ownership the franchise has reached 10 Super Bowls, winning six. Kraft has also been a major player in league politics, such as playing a key role in ending the 2011 lockout and serving on several owners’ committees including chairing the league’s Media Committee.
Only six owners have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame since 2000. The most recent was in 2019, when former Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen received a gold jacket.
While Kraft’s candidacy for this year is over, there are still multiple Patriots representatives remaining in the Modern-Era category. Longtime Patriots Rodney Harrison, Vince Wilfork, and Adam Vinatieri (who is eligible for the first time) were all named semifinalist earlier this week.
