New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft now sits in the same boat as Bill Belichick when it comes to the Pro Football Hall of Fame — snubbed.
After ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news on Tuesday about Kraft not making the cut, the Patriots owner offered his own thoughts during an interview with CNBC. Kraft’s Hall of Fame denial came a week after Belichick, the former Patriots head coach, didn’t get in.
“What matters to me is we win Sunday,” Kraft told CNBC.
The Patriots, after all, have the Super Bowl on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, and New England could win a record seventh Lombardi Trophy under Kraft. The longtime owner helped build the previous dynasty, which ran from 2001 to 2019, and rebuild the franchise after former quarterback Tom Brady left in 2020.
As for the Hall of Fame voting, Kraft didn’t want to get into it. Speculation has swirled of late since Belichick didn’t get in, and now Kraft.
“I can’t speak on issues where other people are voting or doing things,” Kraft said.
Kraft brought in Belichick as the head coach in 2000, and Belichick helped the Patriots win six Super Bowls and make nine overall. They parted ways after the 2023 season.
How Voting Works
Belichick and Kraft were among five finalists with older former players Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, and L.C. Greenwood.
A 50-person selection committee casts the votes, and it takes 80% of the vote to get in. Only the top candidate makes the hall if no one makes it to 80%.
The process has fallen under scrutiny with Belichick not making the hall this year. Many coaches and owners have made it before.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones joined the Hall of Fame in 2017. Other more recent late owners in the hall include Dan Rooney, Eddie DeBartolo, Pat Bowlen, and Ralph Wilson.
Kraft has been the Patriots’ owner since 1994, and he has brought unprecedented success to Foxborough in the process.
Likewise, Belichick is second on the all-time winningest head coach list after the late Don Shula. Belichick has eight Super Bowl rings overall — six with the Patriots and two as an assistant with the New York Giants.
“We are not involved in it,” Goodell told reporters on Monday regarding the voting. “Bill Belichick’s record goes without saying, same with the Patriots and Robert Kraft, who is also a candidate. They are spectacular. They have contributed so much to this game, and I believe they will be Hall of Famers.”
Robert Kraft Cleared the Air on Bill Belichick
After Belichick got snubbed last week, Kraft made sure to clear the air via a statement as both were candidates for the Hall of Fame at the same time.
“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 said in a statement last week. “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 added.
Patriots’ Robert Kraft Sends Message on Hall of Fame Snub