Robert Kraft named one of five contributor nominees for 2027 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

The Patriots owner is one of five contributor nominees still under consideration after falling short of induction in the previous Hall of Fame cycle

Nov 4, 2026 at 1:42 pm ET • 1 min read

Patriots owner Robert Kraft is one of five contributor nominees for the 2027 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, it was announced Wednesday. The Contributor Subcommittee whittled the field down from 42 options to five, and it will meet again on Nov. 17 to decide on one of the five remaining nominees to advance to the full Selection Committee. The Selection Committee will then announce its selections for the 2027 class shortly before the Super Bowl.

Kraft is joined by Ralph Hay, Virginia McCaskey, Doug Williams and John Wooten.

Kraft received the subcommittee's vote last year to advance to the Selection Committee vote, but he was controversially left out of the 2026 Hall of Fame class. Kraft has been eligible for the Hall of Fame for years, but last year was the first time he had advanced out of the subcommittee. Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, in his first year on the ballot, did not get selected for the Hall of Fame, either.

Kraft, 85, has owned the Patriots since 1994. Under his ownership, New England has won six Super Bowls and appeared in five more, including last season's loss to the Seahawks. Prior to Kraft's ownership, the Patriots had only been to one Super Bowl, which it lost. In addition, Kraft has been a key member of several NFL committees, and he helped lead the creation of Gillette Stadium, which opened in 2002.

In 2024, ESPN detailed Kraft's long struggle for a spot in Canton, with various voters pointing to Spygate (when the Patriots taped the Jets' practices), Deflategate and dismissed charges after Kraft's two visits to a Jupiter, Florida, massage parlor as reasons why Kraft hasn't been inducted.

As for the other nominees:

• Hay owned the Canton Bulldogs from 1918-22 and was integral in creating the NFL.
• McCaskey owned the Bears from 1983-2025. She was the daughter of Bears founder George Halas.
• Williams was the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, leading Washington to a victory over Denver in 1988 with 340 passing yards and four touchdowns.
• Wooten played 10 seasons as an offensive lineman before getting into scouting and player personnel roles. He also chaired the Fritz Pollard Alliance.