The NFL’s 2026 Hall of Fame class was expected to be one of the most prolific of all time, and not just because of the players.
2026 marked the first year that both New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick were included together on the ballot. Kraft has been on the ballot since 2013, but 2026 was the first time he was a finalist. Both were expected to be near unanimous admits, thanks to their six Super Bowl wins together.
While Hall of Fame voting results are typically kept private until the NFL Honors, when they are announced, it was leaked on Tuesday, January 27, that Belichick was not voted in. One possible explanation was that, since Hall of Fame classes are limited, Kraft might have gotten in a year before Belichick.
On Tuesday, February 3, it was leaked that Kraft would also not be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2026.
These decisions have many questioning the voting process. Currently, the Hall of Fame voting panel has 50 members, and someone must receive at least 40 votes to be enshrined. This means that at a minimum, 11 people on the panel did not vote for Kraft to be elected this year.
Here is what we know about who didn’t vote for Kraft for the NFL’s 2026 Hall of Fame class.
MORE: Why wasn’t Robert Kraft a first ballot Hall of Famer?
Who votes for the NFL Hall of Fame?
The Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee is comprised of 50 members of the NFL media, former coaches, players and executives serving in “at-large” roles. Candidates are required to receive 40 out of the 50 votes in order to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
It is public knowledge who is serving on the voting panel this year, but similar to the Hall of Fame committees in other sports, voters are not required to reveal how they voted each year. When the news of Belichick not getting inducted was released, many of the voters came forward to say they had voted for him, which made many wonder: if all of them seemingly voted for him, how did he not get elected?
A list of the Pro Football Hall of Fame can be found here.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee—made up of media reps and at-large voters—requires 80% approval to elect a candidate.
Bill Belichick didn’t get there.
The list of voters is below. pic.twitter.com/vKHtqXz4Z6
— Matthew Tabeek (@MatthewTabeek) January 28, 2026
MORE: Who didn’t vote for Bill Belichick?
Who didn’t vote for Robert Kraft?
Voters for the Pro Football Hall of Fame are not required to publicize their vote. This allows them to work in anonymity, which is also why these leaks have hurt the voting process. Because now social media and football fans know that 11 of the 50 public voters didn’t vote for Kraft and have names they can direct anger toward whether warranted or not.
Kraft failed to garner at least 40 votes from the 50-person committee that weighs the candidacy of contributors and senior players.
Voters must choose three of five finalists, and anywhere from one to three senior or contributor finalists are selected for the Hall of Fame. Anyone who receives at least 40 votes is elected; if no one receives 40 votes, the highest vote-getter is elected. The full results are not public, but Kraft failed to crack the 40-vote threshold.
When Belichick wasn’t elected, some reasons included his involvement with Spygate and Deflategate, both of which occurred under Kraft’s ownership.
The only voter we know didn’t vote for Kraft at the moment is the Kansas City Star’s Vahe Gregorian. He wrote a column explaining his reasoning behind not voting for Belichick or Kraft. He opted against voting Belichick or Kraft into Canton, making the assumption that if they didn’t get in in 2026, they would get in soon thereafter. Instead, Gregorian revealed that he voted for Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood, the three senior candidates whose names, he hypothesizes, “most likely won’t ever have a hearing again as more senior candidates enter the pool.”
Voters will likely come out and say that they voted for Kraft, just like what happened with Belichick. Gary Myers was the first to post to X that he voted in favor of Kraft.
Full transparency: I voted for Robert Kraft. As I mentioned, I also voted for Bill Belichick. Think about this: Since HOFer Jerry Jones (class of ’17) last made it to SB in 1995, Kraft has been to 11 and goes for 7th title Sunday. He’s been to SBs with 3 coaches and 3 QBs. And… https://t.co/oFKKQDKtBi
— Gary Myers (@GaryMyersNY) February 3, 2026
MORE: Why wasn’t Bill Belichick a first ballot Hall of Famer?
NFL owners in Hall of Fame
15 owners are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here’s the full list:
| Owner | Team | Year inducted |
| Tim Mara | Giants | 1963 |
| Bert Bell | Eagles | 1963 |
| George Preston Marshall | Commanders | 1963 |
| Art Rooney | Steelers | 1964 |
| Charles Bidwill | Cardinals | 1967 |
| Dan Reeves | Rams | 1967 |
| Lamar Hunt | Chiefs | 1972 |
| Tex Schramm | Cowboys | 1991 |
| Al Davis | Raiders | 1992 |
| Wellington Mara | Giants | 1997 |
| Dan Rooney | Steelers | 2000 |
| Ralph Wilson | Bills | 2009 |
| Eddie DeBartolo Jr. | 49ers | 2016 |
| Jerry Jones | Cowboys | 2017 |
| Pat Bowlen | Broncos | 2019 |
Only five owners have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since 2000, with the most recent being Pat Bowlen in 2019. Kraft has a strong case to say his credentials outweigh those of the other owners elected. With six Super Bowl wins during his three-plus decades as an owner and now an appearance without Brady or Belichick, Kraft oversaw the kind of dynasty that history indicates will get him to Canton at some point, just not in 2026.
