New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft has been denied induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, with the longtime franchise falling short in the polls. Along with former head coach Bill Belichick.

Kraft, a first-time finalist this year, did not receive enough votes to secure induction from the Hall of Fame’s 50-person selection committee. The Class of 2026 will be formally announced Thursday night NFL Honors in San Francisco.

Revised voting rules introduced in 2025 put Kraft and Belichick in direct competition. Kraft was the lone finalist, while Belichick was among a five-man coaching candidate that also included former players Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and LC Greenwood.

Each voter selected three of the five finalists, with one to three candidates eligible for induction provided they received at least 40 votes. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the highest vote-getter is elected.

Kraft publicly endorsed his former coach following Belichick’s departure.

“Bill Belichick is the greatest coach of all time and clearly deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer,” Kraft said in a statement.

Kraft’s own exclusion quells speculation that voter support for the owner contributed to Belichick’s exclusion.

“Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and myself, I strongly believe that Bill Belichick’s record and body of work speaks for itself,” Kraft added.

“He set the standard for excellence, preparation and continued success in the National Football League’s free agency and salary cap era.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell echoed that sentiment earlier this week and indicated that both statistics would eventually be included.

“Bill Belichick’s record is on par with the Patriots and Robert Kraft,” Goodell said. “They are spectacular. They have contributed so much to the game, and I believe they will be Hall of Famers.”

The decision means that even though New England reached Super Bowl LX, neither of the two men most closely associated with the Patriots’ dynasty will enter the Hall this year.

Since Kraft bought the franchise in 1994, the Patriots have won six Super Bowl titles and made 10 championship game appearances, more than any owner in NFL history.

Belichick, hired in 2000, oversaw six Super Bowl victories and compiled 333 combined regular-season and postseason wins with New England and Cleveland, second only to Don Shula.