Robert Kraft
Gets Hall of Fame Cold Shoulder
Same Snub as Bill Belichick
Published
Canton just iced out Patriots royalty — and Robert Kraft is the latest to feel it.
The longtime New England Patriots owner reportedly was snubbed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, failing to make the 2026 induction class despite being one of the most powerful figures the NFL has seen in decades.
It’s the same fate that last week hit his longtime partner-in-dynasty, Bill Belichick.
Kraft — a first-time finalist in the contributor category — didn’t receive the required votes from the Hall’s selection committee … meaning no gold jacket (yet) for the man who presided over six Super Bowl championships.
The decision immediately raised eyebrows around the league, especially since Belichick — the architect of those titles — was also passed over in his first year of eligibility. Together, the two built one of the most dominant runs in sports history … and now they’re both waiting on Canton.
Of course, controversy may still be hovering in the background. League insiders have speculated that scandals like Spygate and Deflategate continue to linger in the minds of some voters.
Still, neither snub is permanent. Kraft and Belichick remain eligible in future voting cycles — and plenty around the NFL believe it’s only a matter of time before both end up enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Bill Belichick’s record goes without saying, same with the Patriots and Robert Kraft, who is also a candidate,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on Monday night. “They are spectacular. They have contributed so much to this game, and I believe they will be Hall of Famers.”
While former Patriots QB Tom Brady has yet to comment on Kraft not getting in, he did speak out against Belichick not getting into the Hall last week.
So even in a season where the Patriots made it all the way to Super Bowl LX, neither of the two men most responsible for their previous championships will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame this year.
Six Lombardis, zero gold jackets — and a whole lot of people arguing about it.