Rob Gronkowski jokes about Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame candidacy after Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft miss out
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SAN FRANCISCO – Just days after it was reported that Bill Belichick was not elected to the Hall of Fame, it was revealed that another pillar of the New England Patriots dynasty will also miss out.
Owner Robert Kraft reportedly did not receive enough votes to be inducted into Canton, despite six Super Bowl titles and, including this year, 11 appearances.
When asked by News Digital on San Francisco radio before Super Bowl LX whether anyone from the Patriots’ dynasty era would get in, Rob Gronkowski, who won three with New England, joked: “I don’t think so.”
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Rob Gronkowski watches from the sideline during an NFL game. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
“I think Tom Brady will now be a fourth-ballot Hall of Famer,” he continued.
“RKK, I mean, how come he hasn’t been there yet? I mean, this is his 10th Super Bowl (it’s his 11th). He’s in the Super Bowl again this year. He was in Super Bowls even before the Belichick-Brady era. I mean, the guy is the best owner in the league.”
Gronkowski also praised Kraft’s ability to grow the game off the field.
“Not just his resume with the New England Patriots, but also his resume for the game of football, just dealing with the TV rights contracts, with the NFL and the NFLPA and with all the owners. This guy has a voice for the NFL. He’s helped expand the game.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft speaks to the crowd on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, during a Super Bowl LX farewell rally in Newsborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
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“RKK, you know, just with his resume, as well as with the New England Patriots, and what he’s done as a whole for the NFL, I mean, he needs to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He will be, but he should have been by now.”
In a separate interview with News Digital last week, Gronk said Belichick’s snub was “stupid.”
“This guy not only has a great resume, but he’s also touched a lot of lives in football in a very positive way. From players to coaches, he gave a lot of people opportunities and fair opportunities to be successful in life. And that’s what he’s sure done. And it’s just incredible that he didn’t get selected. Obviously he’s going to be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but it was just absurd that he wasn’t the first ballot.”
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft watch warmups before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium. (Eric Canha/USA Today Sports)
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Belichick and Kraft have combined for 14 Lombardi Trophy wins, but it has been widely speculated that Belichick is serving a de facto punishment for Spygate and Deflategate. Maybe Kraft is getting the same treatment now.
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