Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 revealed after Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft were snubbed

A former New England Patriot was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 on Thursday in San Francisco. It just wasn’t Bill Belichick or Robert Kraft, both of whom fell short, as expected, despite winning Six Super Bowl titles together in Foxborough.

Instead, former Patriots and Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri was picked by the 50-person selection committee, along with legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly and San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig.

While Vinatieri was instrumental in kicking off the Patriots’ dynasty en route to four Super Bowl titles in New England and Indianapolis, it’s Brees who headlines the highly decorated class. 

An undersized second-round pick out of Purdue in 2001, Brees had three up-and-down seasons in San Diego before putting it all together for the Chargers in 2004.

By that time, San Diego had already drafted his replacement, Philip Rivers, so despite Brees’ sudden success, he was ultimately dealt to the historically inept New Orleans Saints in 2006.

But it was in New Orleans where Brees fully blossomed under head coach and quarterback guru Sean Payton, earning five All-Pro honors and 13 Pro Bowl nods while leading the league in passing yards seven times. 

Tom Brady ultimately broke Brees’ NFL record for passing yards, but the former Boilermaker still holds league marks for passing touchdowns in a game (seven), best completion percentage in a season (74.4) and most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (54).

Most importantly, Brees led the Saints to their only Super Bowl title in 2006 as New Orleans continued to recover from 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.

Fitzgerald never won a Super Bowl, falling to the Steelers in his only trip, but he did briefly turn the Cardinals into an NFC power.

The son of a Minnesota sportswriter, Fitzgerald was actually a ballboy for a Vikings team that included legendary receivers Cris Carter, Jake Reed and Randy Moss. Later he would go on to play at Pittsburgh, where he developed into a Biletnikoff Award recipient.

Arizona would take him third overall in 2004 and he would go on to redefine the position and was ultimately named to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Fitzgerald now ranks second in receiving yards (17,492) and receptions (1,432), while finishing sixth in touchdowns (121). 

A four-time Pro Bowl selection who played on three Super Bowl champions with the 49ers in the 1980s, Craig was famously the first player in NFL history with at least 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in the same season. 

Other nominees included Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson, Rams receiver Torry Holt, Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Ravens edge rusher Terrell Suggs, among others.

But it was the omission of the Belichick and Kraft that has been dominating headlines long before that decision was confirmed on Thursday.

For Belichick, it was just his first year on the ballot, while Kraft was being considered for a 13th time, although only his first as a finalist. Regardless, the 84-year-old billionaire and 73-year-old North Carolina head football coach will remain on the ballot, which means the controversy over their denial will carry into next season.

By that time, Kraft could be a seven-time Super Bowl champion, depending how his Patriots do on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Of course, it’s the Belichick era that appeared to hurt his and Kraft’s chances with the 50-person selection committee.

‘Politics kept [Belichick} out,’ one source told ESPN, which first revealed Belichick’s snub last month. ‘He doesn’t believe this is a reflection on his accomplishments.’

The source did not reveal the specific ‘politics’ they were referencing.

Belichick does have his detractors within the league following several rules violations. Most notably, there was the infamous 2007 sign-stealing scandal known as Spygate, which resulted in a $500,000 fine for the coach and the loss of a first-round draft pick for the team.

The Deflategate scandal erupted in early 2015 as quarterback Tom Brady was accused of improperly reducing the air pressure in footballs during the 2014 AFC Championship to improve his grip. Brady was ultimately suspended four games in 2016, while the team was fined $1 million and docked a first- and fourth-round draft pick.

Academics such as MIT mechanical engineering professor and self-professed Philadelphia Eagles fan Dr. John L. Leonard, claim the NFL’s investigation was flawed and Brady was actually exonerated by the data.

Regardless, some inside and outside the NFL continue to blame Belichick for the scandals, which may have hurt his chances at becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

‘The only explanation [for the outcome] was the cheating stuff,’ a veteran Hall voter told ESPN. ‘It really bothered some of the guys.