Robert Kraft suffers same Hall of Fame fate as Bill Belichick
The Patriots owner can now join his former head coach among those who will have to continue to wait for their Hall of Fame induction.
Robert Kraft will not be getting his gold jacket in Canton this year, either.
The Patriots owner did not make it through the final voting process for selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter Tuesday morning. Kraft and Bill Belichick will both have to continue waiting to get the necessary votes for induction.
According to Schefter's sources, the voting was essentially split between Kraft and Belichick, and in a way the two were pitted against each other. The two were among five nominees in the class of contributors, coaches, and players who last played in 2000 or earlier. The voting committee selects up to three of the five finalists, then 1-3 of those would be inducted if they get the required 40 out of 50 minimum votes. Schefter's sources believe that a new rule reducing the required wait time for coaches to one year may have contributed to Belichick and Kraft splitting their votes.
Other finalists on the 2026 ballot in this group are former running back Roger Craig, former quarterback Ken Anderson, and former defensive end L.C. Greenwood, the latter of whom would be a posthumous induction.
The NFL will officially announce the Hall of Fame class of 2026 during Thursday night's NFL Honors ceremony. There's still hope for the Patriots to be represented, as kicker Adam Vinatieri is among the modern-era finalists. Notable players up for induction on their first ballots include former quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and running back Frank Gore.
Vinatieri getting inducted would soften the blow for Patriots fans hoping to see Belichick and/or Kraft get in. But in New England, the conversation is inevitably going to surround who didn't get in, rather than who did.
