Two members of the New England Patriots dynasty have now fallen short of induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026 despite being finalists.
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Multiple media members reported on Jan. 27 that multi-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick did not make the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Now, reports have surfaced saying that Patriots owner Robert Kraft did not make the Hall of Fame in his first year as a finalist.
The 2026 Hall of Fame class will be unveiled on Thursday night during the NFL Honors ceremony in San Francisco, California.
According to ESPN, multiple sources said that Kraft fell short of the required threshold to be inducted. Not enough members of the 50-person panel voted to support the man who put together a six-time champion franchise.
Belichick and Kraft were both members of the five-person category featuring coaches, contributors, and senior players. Between one to three of these finalists can make the Hall of Fame if they receive enough votes. Roger Craig, Ken Anderson, and LC Greenwood represented the senior players in the category.
"Bill Belichick's record goes without saying, same with the Patriots and Robert Kraft, who is also a candidate," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement. "They are spectacular. They have contributed so much to this game, and I believe they will be Hall of Famers."
Kraft and Belichick built a dynasty working together between 2000-2023. This AFC team, also led by quarterback Tom Brady, dominated the division while piling up 266 wins. They won the division 17 times in 24 seasons, including 11 straight seasons (2009-2019).
This team reached the Super Bowl nine times and celebrated six wins in the biggest game of the season. Overall, the Patriots went 30-12 in the playoffs under the leadership of Belichick and Kraft.
The Patriots owner is now the third finalist to learn that he did not make the Hall of Fame. Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who defeated the Patriots in two Super Bowls, also reportedly fell short of the required votes this year.
