By John Turney 
Media reports contend Robert Kraft will join Bill Belichick on the sidelines when the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 is announced Thursday at the NFL Honors show. And the Patriots are not pleased. The fans, the coaches, the organization, you know, everyone.
With the Patriots in the Super Bowl this year, it is a letdown for Pats Nation to say the least.
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| Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel commenting on the Kraft "snub" |
Here is the complete answer Vrabel gave today:
Q: Robert Kraft has been eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for more than a decade now, and he's still on the outside looking in. Your reaction to that?
MV: I would just say that that's unfortunate. I would say that in my experiences with Robert, he's more than deserving and he'll be in the Hall of Fame. I'm not in charge of deciding when that happens. So, I appreciate the relationship that I've had with him and the success as a player, and now as a coach. So, he's done everything that we've needed and provided the support that we've needed as a staff and as a team. So, I'm glad that he's back here and continuing to help us do things that will help the team win, and ultimately allow him to be recognized.
His comments likely echo those of the Patriots organization and fanbase, too.
Also to consider: We can probably assume Kraft and Belichick, to some extent, split the "Patriots" vote, meaning that given the zero-sum voting in the new process, caused some voters to pick either Kraft or Belichick rather than both. But there was some sentiment (a lot?) that there should be more accountability for the alleged cheating that the club was punished for over the years.
A kind of double jeopardy in a way. Regardless, if the media reports are to be believed, both are out of the running.
Speaking to some voters, we've found defensiveness for those who voted against, "How many games did Belichick win that was a result of cheating?" To the "We deserve the heat we are getting. The committee made a mistake and we are reaping the wrath."
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| Robert Kraft (right) at Patriots' 2026 Media Night |
Yes, to some, the Hall is burning. And that is my interest in this. The damage to the institution. A coach or owner getting refused is not a huge deal to us, unless it is an icon, and in our view, Belichick is exactly that.
We simply care about the Hall, it's specialness, it's reputation, the thing that it is. It's not about "your" guys getting it. It's about the best of the best and anything that gets away from that hurts the Hall.
As not what the Hall can do for you but what you can do for the Hall. In this case, avoiding this controversy would have been better. At least in our view.