Belichick, Kraft named finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Patriots could be heavily represented in the Class of 2026.
Jan 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots former head coach Bill Belichick (right) embraces Patriots owner Robert Kraft (left) during a press conference at Gillette Stadium to announce Belichick’s exit from the team. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots could be represented heavily in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 as Bill Belichick (coach) and Robert Kraft (contributor) have both been named finalists for Canton.
Both Belichick and Kraft are the sole finalists in their respective categories, joining them as finalists are Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood.
Both have very strong cases to be inducted this year, with Kraft’s 10 Super Bowl appearances being three more than any other owner in NFL history. Belichick has eight Super Bowl’s to his name, six as head coach of the Patriots.
Belichick beat out some heavy hitters in the coaching category in Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Marty Schottenheimer and Mike Shanahan.
Now, the two will await another vote by the Selection Committee before finding out if they will be heading to Canton. Each member of the committee can only vote for three of the five, and a finalist must receive 80% of the vote to be named to the Class of 2026. If no finalists receive the required 80%, the highest vote getter will be named to the class.
The Class of 2026 will be announced during Super Bowl LX week in San Francisco.
Former Patriots wide receiver Stanley Morgan (1977-89) was also eligible to be named a finalist but did not receive the necessary votes to advance.
