New England Patriots
“The only talk is going to be about the guys who didn’t get in the Hall of Fame.”
Devin McCourty is among the many people confused by the latest Pro Football Hall of Fame results. Barry Chin/The Boston Globe
SAN FRANCISCO — Two of the top architects of the Patriots’ 20-year dynasty won’t earn their gold jackets later this year.
Just a week after reports broke that Bill Belichick would not be a first-year entrant into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that Patriots owner Robert Kraft would also not be voted into the Class of 2026.
Kraft, 84, has been on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot since 2013 — finally advancing to the finalist stage of the voting process in 2026 after routinely getting halted in the semifinal round.
For former Patriots safety Devin McCourty — who will be part of NBC’s broadcast of Super Bowl LX between New England and Seattle — the reported voting results is a head-scratcher.
“I think Bill and Mr. Kraft are obviously Hall of Famers,” McCourty, a three-time Super Bowl champion, said: “I think Mr. Kraft being here again [in the Super Bowl] with another coach, another quarterback, speaks to that. And I think it’s ridiculous to even talk about Bill Belichick’s resume of being in the Hall of Fame.
“How, obviously, they do the Hall of Fame, I think that’s now been the spotlight of people realizing, like, hey, it’s a tough decision. Because people are trying to factor in [how] some guys won’t be able to be on the ballot the next year, and they’re trying to do all that when, shouldn’t the Hall of Fame just be: Is this guy a Hall of Famer — yes or no? And then we move forward.”
Both Kraft and Bill Belichick were part of the same five-person ballot for Canton, alongside former players L.C. Greenwood, Roger Craig, and Ken Anderson.
While the eventually enshrinement for the Class of 2026 should be a celebratory event later this year, McCourty said that both Belichick and Kraft’s omissions will likely cast a shadow over the entire event.
“I think the travesty of all of this is this summer, there’s going to be a Hall of Fame induction, and there’s going to be guys that are going to be deserving of being in the Hall of Fame, and we could all probably bet the top topic is going to be Bill Belichick not being there,” McCourty said. “And I think that’s unfortunate.
“Because there are going to be players, coaches, contributors that are Hall of Fame-worthy, but because this feels like a huge mistake, the only talk is going to be about the guys who didn’t get in the Hall of Fame.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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