New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft did not make the cut for the list of 2026 inductees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a report says.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Kraft will not be inducted this year, WNBC-TV reported.
The report comes on the heels of more than a week of controversy over the HoF voters’ decision to shun Patriots coach Bill Belichick, as well.
Many have claimed that at least some of the slate of HoF electors — mostly members of the sports media — had spurned Belichick over the twin scandals of Deflategate and Spygate. Kraft was also the team’s owner during these scandals. However, it has not been ascertained if the two scandals were deciding factors in any of the HoF voters’ decisions.
Schefter also noted that this was the first year that Kraft became a finalist in the contributor category. It is not clear why he was left off the list of inductees.
Kraft has owned the Patriots since 1996, and the team’s 10 Super Bowl appearances since then have set an NFL record. The Patriots went to the Super Bowl once under head coach Bill Parcells and nine more times under Bill Belichick.
Kraft has also been a key player among NFL owners, spearheaded several league initiatives, and played a significant role in ending the 2011 player lockout.
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