New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Weighs In On Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame Snub
Seeing Bill Belichick’s name left off the list of first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famers feels like a bad dream. We are talking about the guy who made the sleeveless hoodie iconic, the man who turned “Do Your Job” into a New England religion, and the coach with six Super Bowl rings as a head honcho and two more as a defensive coordinator.
If there was ever a lock for Canton, it was supposed to be him. The voters apparently didn’t get the memo, leaving him short of the required votes in his first year of eligibility. The snub has the sports world scratching its collective head, and it has drawn a defense from a somewhat unlikely source: Robert Kraft.
Kraft Steps Up Despite the Bad Blood
It’s no secret that the relationship between Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick didn’t exactly end with a warm hug and a friendship bracelet. The breakup was messy. There were power struggles, the awkward post-Brady years, and that recent “Dynasty” docuseries that felt more like a hit piece than a tribute.
But game recognizes game.
When the news broke that Belichick failed to secure the necessary 40 out of 50 votes from the selection committee, Kraft didn’t stay silent. He didn’t take the opportunity to be petty. Instead, he issued a statement that cut right through the personal noise and addressed the football reality.
“Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me,” Kraft said, acknowledging the elephant in the room, “I strongly believe Bill Belichick’s record and body of work speak for themselves.”
Kraft went on to call Belichick the “greatest coach of all time” and noted that he “unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.” It was a classy move from the owner. It shows that despite the friction that led to their divorce after the 2023 season, Kraft understands the legacy they built together better than anyone. You can’t tell the story of the NFL without placing Belichick on the throne.
The Numbers Don’t Lie, and Neither Does Kraft
So, what exactly were the voters looking at? Belichick sits second all-time in wins with 333, trailing only Don Shula. He navigated the salary cap era and somehow kept the Patriots in contention for two straight decades.
Kraft highlighted this specifically in his statement, noting Belichick’s “sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era.” That context matters. Winning in the 70s was hard; winning in the 2000s and 2010s with a roster that constantly turns over is a magic trick.
The fact that Kraft is also a finalist for the 2026 class adds a layer of irony to the whole situation. There was a world where we could have seen an awkward stage sharing in Canton this summer. Now, we might see the owner get in while the architect of the on-field product has to wait in the lobby. That is a look that the NFL might have a hard time explaining to the fans.
Brady and Kraft Align On the Verdict
Kraft isn’t the only pillar of the Patriots dynasty shouting from the rooftops. Tom Brady, the guy whose departure sparked the beginning of the end for Belichick in Foxborough, was just as baffled.
In an interview on Seattle Sports radio, Brady didn’t hold back. “If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Brady said. He called the decision “ridiculous.”
It is a strange day when Kraft, Brady, and practically every Patriots fan on Twitter agree on something so unanimously. The snub has seemingly reunited the “Big Three” in spirit, if not in person. They all know the truth: you don’t win six rings by accident.
Inside the Voting Room Drama
So, why the snub? Rumors are swirling about “Spygate” and “Deflategate” still leaving a bad taste in the mouths of the voters. Reports from ESPN suggested that some voters, potentially influenced by figures like Bill Polian, wanted to make Belichick “wait a year.”
It feels petty. It feels like high school politics. The Hall of Fame is supposed to be a museum of history, not a morality play adjudicated by writers with grudges. By denying Belichick on the first ballot, the voters didn’t hurt Belichick’s legacy; they hurt the credibility of the Hall itself.
As Kraft said, the man set the standard for excellence. To pretend otherwise because of old scandals or personal likability is a fumble. Belichick will get in eventually. Maybe in 2027. Maybe he’ll even be coaching the UNC Tar Heels to a bowl game by then. But for now, he’s on the outside looking in, and Kraft is the one holding the door open, wondering why the bouncers won’t let the VIP inside.
