The Patriots Dynasty Will Keep Robert Kraft Out Of Canton

When lifelong New England Patriots fan Robert Kraft bought his favorite team in 1994, the franchise was a mostly forgotten one among NFL fans and the New England region, which was a Celtics and Red Sox town first and foremost. The franchise did not have a single post-merger playoff win except for the ones accumulated during a surprise run to Super Bowl XX, and had come off a run of five straight losing seasons, including a 1-15 season in 1990 highlighted by a sexual harassment incident in the team's locker room.

After Kraft bought the team, they turned into a consistent winner, making 10 Super Bowls under his watch and winning six. In addition, they had the greatest dynasty in NFL history under the coach-QB combo of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, and posted 20 straight winning seasons from 2001-2019. So, this success should be enough to get Kraft into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, right?

Well, the voting board appears to think otherwise. Kraft was recently passed over, again, for the Hall’s contributor nomination. Instead, the honor went to Ralph Hay, who co-founded the NFL and owned the Canton Bulldogs for four years. So, why is the owner of the team who produced the greatest dynasty in NFL history being passed over? Let’s take a look why.

His Impact Was Minimal Compared To Some

Not a lot of owners have been inducted into Canton, but over the past decade two notable ones have- Eddie DeBartolo Jr. of the 49ers and Jerry Jones of the Cowboys, who led their teams’ dynasties in the 80s and 90s, respectively. So how come Kraft, whose dynasty was both longer and more successful than theirs, isn't in?

DeBartolo is largely credited with making the NFL a more collaborative league. The early days of NFL football had an understanding that players reported to coaches, who reported to owners, and no real relationships existed between the three. When he took over the 49ers, DeBartolo ran a “family approach” as Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young put it. He was a hands-on owner who inserted himself into the day to day operations of the team and oversaw five championships won by two different coaches and quarterbacks. The combos of Bill Walsh and Joe Montana, George Seifert and Montana, and Seifert and Young all won under DeBartolo’s watch. Players wanted to play for the 49ers when DeBartolo owned them. Even though DeBartolo kept the team in the family after being forced to sell it in 2000, they have not had Super Bowl success since he left despite advancing to the big game three times since 2012.

Jones might have his flaws as an owner and may have no NFC Championship Game appearances since 1995, but his impact can't be overstated. He was the primary factor behind FOX getting into NFL broadcasting back in the 1990s, and played a key role in the recent moves of the Rams and Chargers to Los Angeles and the Raiders to Las Vegas. Despite his on-field shortcomings, Jones has made the NFL a lot of money, hence why he has a bust in Canton.

Now onto Kraft. While his on-field resume speaks for itself, he was not a key decision-maker during the team's dynasty- the team’s day-to-day football operations were largely handled by Belichick. The only notable occurrence of Kraft interjecting himself into football operations was when he forced the trade of backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers in 2017. Although he played a key role in ending the 2011 NFL lockout, his impact on the league is still small compared to the likes of DeBartolo and Jones.

He Is Linked To Cheating Scandals

Though successful, the Patriots dynasty will forever be tainted by the Spygate and Deflategate cheating scandals. The first one saw Belichick pay a $500,000 fine when Patriots camera crew members were caught illegally videotaping other teams’ practices. The second saw Brady get suspended four games because of under-inflated footballs handled by equipment managers. Though neither directly committed the crime per se, they were the main figures in both scandals.

Though Kraft did not play a central role in either scandal, it will follow him forever as the team owner. If you think otherwise, look at Terrell Owens and his Hall of Fame candidacy. Owens had the resume of a first-ballot lock for Canton, but his controversial career and antics were a reason why he had to wait until his third year of eligibility to be voted in. Even then, he skipped the ceremony and held his own.

On-field incidents are considered when evaluating one’s candidacy, and this will apply to Kraft, for better or worse.

Kraft Was Done In By His Own Dynasty

In the end, it appears that what should be Kraft’s ticket to the hall, the Patriots dynasty, will ultimately keep him out of it as well.

When you think of the Patriots dynasty, will you think of Kraft right away? The answer is probably no. You will think of Belichick, Brady, and other players like Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Rodney Harrison, Richard Seymour, and Devin McCourty to name a few. Even assistant coaches like Josh McDaniels will come to mind before Kraft, whose prints are largely invisible because he was a hands-off owner who ceded football control to his head coach/general manager. Though he owns the team, his impact on the Patriots’ six Super Bowls are almost nowhere to be found.

Although he played a big role in the production of a recent documentary centered around the dynasty, the reception was mixed. Due to his strained relationship with Belichick, many viewed the documentary as Kraft providing anti-Belichick propaganda to enhance his own role, or lack thereof, in the dynasty and entice himself to the committee. Personally, I see this as Kraft pulling a Pete Rose. Rose, who was permanently banned from baseball from 1989 until his death in 2024, published an autobiography in 2004 that, given its timing, was seen as a campaign to the Hall, which has banned permanently ineligible players. This documentary by Kraft seems to have a similar method.

Ultimately, because of his lack of impact around the league and on his own dynasty, I don't see Robert Kraft being inducted into Canton anytime soon. Many will view it as a travesty, and there is truth to that, but in order to be a Hall of Famer, you have to change the game, and he hasn't done that. He changed the Patriots, but not the NFL.

Serafino Diaz is a writer at Chaotically Intolerant, Phoenix's finest Vikings, Bucks, and Cubs fan, traveling everywhere I can.