The New England Patriots recently named former star wide receiver Julian Edelman to the team’s Hall of Fame, but one Patriots insider sees a big need for change in the process.
MassLive’s Matt Vautour challenged the Patriots’ selection process since former kicker Adam Vinatieri didn’t make the hall in his first year of eligibility. Vinatieri isn’t just any kicker since he had two game-winning kicks in Super Bowl wins.
“If Vinatieri wasn’t one of the most reliable clutch kickers in the history of the sport, the Patriots’ entire stature as a franchise is different,” Vautour wrote.
Vautour went on to detail how the Patriots choose new Hall of Fame members and how it needs to change. He sees it as necessary when a major Super Bowl hero disappears into the sunset and can get easily trumped by former players who play higher-profile positions and or receive bigger accolades — both the case for Edelman.
“A simple fix could look like this: As of now, the top three vote-getters from the committee go on the ballot,” Vautour explained. If the fans vote for the same No. 1 as the committee, then that one guy goes in. If the committee chooses one guy and the fans pick somebody else, then induct them both.”
How the Patriots Hall of Fame Voting Currently Works
GettyAdam Vinatieri kicked the Patriots to the franchise’s first Super Bowl win in 2002.
Vautour shared how the Patriots currently choose Hall of Famers, which the organization detailed online.
Only players who are four years removed from playing or coaching are eligible. The selection committee consists of media members plus Patriots staff and alumni.
“Committee members are permitted time to nominate a candidate of their choice and explain why that player should be considered,” Patriots.com wrote. “At the end of that process, each committee member votes for his/her top three choices with 5 points for the first choice, 3 for the second and 1 for the third.”
Then, the fans vote on the three candidates on the last ballot, which Patriots.com puts out. To Vautour’s point on Edelman’s visibility, that limits other greats such as Vinatieri, whom Vautour called “a New England icon” for what he did on the field.
“A large percentage of fans always vote based on recency and visibility,” Vantour wrote. “That’s especially true of an online vote.”
Vinatieri kicked for the Patriots from 1996 to 2006 before he joined the Indianapolis Colts in free agency where he finished his career. Edelman played for the Patriots from 2009 to 2020.
Matt Vautour Paints Grim Forecast For Adam Vinatieri, Other Former Patriots
Vautour doesn’t see Vinatier getting in next year, and the columnist noted that former tight end Rob Gronkowski is around the corner for the hall. Gronkowski retired after the 2022 season.
“Vinatieri won’t be the last one to run into this,” Vautour added. “The greatness of Matthew Slater and David Andrews is harder to quantify in the positions they played, which will make both easier for fans to forget years from now.”
Patriots Insider Calls For Change After Hall of Fame Decision