Patriots owner Robert Kraft not elected into Pro Football Hall of Fame, per report

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was not selected for entry into this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame class, joining former Patriots coach Bill Belichick as a notable snub, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Kraft was joined on the ballot by Belichick, Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood. The Pro Football Hall of Fame's 50 voters pick three of five finalists and selections are made if an individual receives at least 40 votes. 

Instrumental during the Patriots' run to six Super Bowl titles under Belichick, Kraft has been principal owner since 1994 after purchasing the team for $172 million and was a centerpiece of the franchise's 24-year NFL dynasty in New England.

Kraft hired Belichick in 1999 while the coach had an offer from the New York Jets.

"I gave up a No. 1 draft pick for a coach that had only won a little over 40% of his games to get him out," Kraft said in July 2025. "I don't know if there are any Jets fans here. I think getting Bill Belichick to come to the Patriots in 1999 was a big risk, and I got hammered in the Boston area, but he was with us for 24 years."

Belichick compiled a 266-121 record with the Patriots, won 17 AFC East titles, appeared 13 times in the AFC Championship Game and won a record six Super Bowl titles.

Despite ending their tenure on icy terms, Kraft still calls Belichick the "greatest coach of all time" and said he should have been a unanimous selection this year last month following his snub.

"Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick's record and body of work speak for themselves," Kraft told the Associated Press. "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."

Kraft was attempting to become the 17th owner all time to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining the likes of Jerry Jones, Eddie Debartolo Jr., Pat Bowlen, Ralph Wilson, Dan Rooney and Al Davis.

During Kraft's tenure, the Patriots captured 11 AFC titles and 22 AFC East divisional crowns. He also helped the building of Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.