The owner of one of the NFL’s most decorated franchises may soon have another accolade to call his own.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft was named one of 29 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 in the “coach/contributor” category Wednesday.
Kraft will hope to top other legendary names like Art Modell, Marty Schottenheimer, and Tom Coughlin to become the sole non-player inducted into the Hall next year.
Kraft is aiming to become just the 16th team owner to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and the first since Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in 2017.
Since purchasing the Patriots in 1994, Kraft has helmed a franchise that has seen an unparalleled era of success in the NFL. The Patriots have won 6 championships during the Kraft era, tied for most in NFL history, and 10 of their 11 total Super Bowl appearances have been while under the thumb of the Brookline native. In addition to the stacked trophy case, Kraft’s negotiating during the 2011 lockout and helping to secure the NFL’s lucrative new TV deal earned him many fan’s in the league offices.
The coach or owner finalist for any given year is picked by a committee and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame pending at least 80 percent approval from a panel of voters in January.
Former Patriots general manager and vice president Frank “Bucko” Kilroy was also named one of the 29 coach/ contributor finalists while former wide receiver Stanley Morgan was tabbed as a nomination of the senior committee. Morgan’s 19.2 yards per catch is still the greatest among all players with more than 500 catches.
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