New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and legendary former head coach Bill Belichick have a chance to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame together. Kraft and Belichick were named Wednesday as two of the five finalists for the Class of 2026.

Both Kraft and Belichick were named Hall of Fame finalists by the Blue-Ribbon Committees that make selections in coach, contributor and seniors categories. Kraft is a finalist in the contributor category while Belichick would enter the Hall of Fame as a coach.

Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists

The other finalists are senior candidates Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood.

A maximum of three candidates can be chosen for enshrinement. The final step to make the Hall of Fame is to receive at least 80% approval from members of the Selection Committee during their annual meeting, which takes place before the class is announced during the week of the Super Bowl in San Francisco.

If no one receives 80% of the vote, the candidate with the most support will be elected.

Kraft has been the owner, chairman and CEO of the Patriots since 1994. Under his ownership, New England has won six Super Bowls and made appearances in four others.

Belichick was the head coach for all six of those championships, and led the Patriots in nine Super Bowl appearances.

“To be in this position is extremely humbling. I am honored to be named the Coaching Finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Thank you to the Selection Committee and the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Belichick said in a statement. “I am thankful for the organizations and thousands of players and coaches that I worked with for my 49 years in the NFL. This is a cherishable reflection of all my teammates throughout my NFL career. I hope to see all of the deserving Patriots selected this year.”

Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick relationship

Entering the Hall of Fame together would present a unique dynamic for the pair. Belichick and Kraft held a press conference in January 2024 to announce that the iconic head coach and the franchise were “mutually” parting ways. However, Kraft later admitted he fired Belichick after years of struggles following the departure of Tom Brady.

Belichick has made it clear he holds hard feelings for how his tenure in Foxboro ended. After taking over as head coach of the University of North Carolina football team, Belichick confirmed a report that he banned Patriots scouts from Tar Heels practices and games.

“It’s clear I’m not welcome around their facility, so they’re not welcome at ours. It’s pretty simple,” Belichick told reporters.

Kraft, meanwhile, told WBZ-TV in September that he wants to talk to Belichick about putting a statue of him outside of Gillette Stadium when his coaching career is over. The Patriots owner said he wants a Belichick statue next to the recently unveiled statue of Brady.

“When that great 20-year era ended, it was always my intention to commission a statue for both Tommy and Bill when their respective careers were over, playing and coaching,” Kraft said at the time. “When Bill’s coaching career ends, we look forward to sitting down with him and having a statue made to be right next to Tommy.”

Three other cornerstone Patriots players have a chance to make the Hall of Fame this year. Adam Vinatieri, Vince Wilfork, and Rodney Harrison are among 26 modern-era players who have reached the semifinal stage of the process.