New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft snubbed alongside Bill Belichick at Hall of Fame award

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was denied entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class as the longtime franchise figure failed to vote alongside former head coach Bill Belichick.

Kraft, a first-time finalist this year, did not receive enough votes from the 50-person Hall of Fame selection committee to secure his induction. The class of 2026 will be officially announced Thursday evening at NFL Honors to San Francisco.

Revised voting rules introduced in 2025 put Kraft and Belichick in direct competition. Kraft was the lone contributing finalist, while Belichick was the coaching candidate among a five-person group that also included former players Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and LC Greenwood.

Each voter selected three of the five finalists, with between one and three candidates eligible for induction provided they received at least 40 votes. If no candidate reached this threshold, the first to obtain votes would be elected.

Kraft publicly supported his former coach following Belichick's omission.

“Bill Belichick is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be unanimously elected to the first ballot into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Kraft said in a statement.

Kraft's own exclusion appears to dispel speculation that voter support for the owner helped exclude Belichick.

“Whatever perceptions may exist regarding the personal differences between Bill and I, I firmly believe that Bill Belichick's journey and body of work speaks for itself,” Kraft added.

“He set the standard for excellence, preparation and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell echoed that sentiment earlier this week and suggested both figures would ultimately be inducted.

“Bill Belichick's record goes without saying, as does the Patriots' and Robert Kraft's,” Goodell said. “They are spectacular. They contributed so much to this game and I believe they will go into the Hall of Fame.”

The move means neither of the two figures most closely associated with the Patriots dynasty will enter the Hall this year, even though New England reached Super Bowl LX.

Since Kraft purchased the franchise in 1994, the Patriots have won six Super Bowl titles and made 10 appearances in the championship game, more than any owner in NFL history.

Belichick, hired in 2000, oversaw six Super Bowl victories and compiled 333 combined regular season and playoff wins with New England and Cleveland, second only to Don Shula.