Robert Kraft Left Out Of Hall Of Fame Class Of 2026

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was not part of the 2026 Hall of Fame class, joining former Patriots coach Bill Belichick as non-Hall of Famers this year.

Kraft was a first-time Hall of Fame finalist but did not receive the 40 of 50 votes needed to be selected into the prestigious club. The full 2026 Hall of Fame class was announced on Thursday at the NFL Honors.

This comes in the wake of a controversial decision to keep Belichick out of the Hall of Fame, in what was a bizarre outcome. Kraft being left out is not as egregious as Belichick not being inducted, but Kraft’s status as a six-time Super Bowl-winning owner probably warrants induction into the Hall of Fame.

Kraft spoke on Belichick being left out, saying, “As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League. He is the greatest coach of all time, and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.”

Some people speculated that Belichick’s exclusion was to get Kraft into the Hall of Fame, but that was quickly put to rest by the results. It is also speculated that Kraft’s behavior outside the Hall of Fame case impacted his Hall of Fame case.

Kraft, 84, has bigger worries this week as his Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in the Super Bowl and look to add another Lombardi Trophy to their case.