The New England Patriots need to restore order in their Hall of Fame and it starts at the top with owner Robert Kraft implementing some semblance of a structure moving forward.
The way in which it currently works is a panel of 20 media members who work closely with and around the team vote for who should be on the ballot. From there, the finalists are selected by the players with the most votes. Then, it's in the hands of the fans to vote for who they want and then that player is inducted.
The problem that's starting to unfold is that there are many players with upcoming eligibility that will likely get in before some of the other older former players who are also deserving of being inducted that today’s generation of fans just don’t know who they are to recognize.
Some of the former players with upcoming eligibility include Rob Gronkowski, Devin McCourty, Dont’a Hightower, James White, and Matthew Slater, who could all be inducted on their first ballot. Although they’re deserving of it, there are still other players who should be in that aren’t.
For example, the finalists for the 2025 Patriots Hall of Fame are Adam Vinatieri, Logan Mankins, and Julian Edelman. This is the first time that Vinatieri is on the ballot, despite being eligible for the last two years. Mankins has been a finalist three times and he still hasn’t gotten inducted. And this is the first year of eligibility for Edelman and now he’s a finalist.
The argument can be made that Vinatieri deserved to have the waiting period waived and automatically inducted into the Hall of Fame like Tom Brady was in 2024. Let’s not forget, Vinatieri kicked a 45-yard field goal in a blizzard during the 2001 Divisional Round to send the Patriots into overtime and then kicked the following field goal to send them to the AFC Championship Game.
In Super Bowl 36, Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal to win the game and then did it again in Super Bowl 38. The fact that he isn’t already inducted by Kraft, despite the process, is outrageous. It’s also worth noting that Vinatieri was drafted in 1996, so he was a rookie on the Patriots’ Super Bowl team that lost to the Green Bay Packers. He converted three extra points.
The most important example of the flaw is Bill Parcells, who has been the biggest snub in the history of the Patriots Hall of Fame. Parcells is a five-time finalist but has never been voted in by the fans. That said, Parcells is being inducted into the 2025 class as a contributor, which is a certain class that is reserved for the monumental faces of the franchise.
The Patriots Hall of Fame Contributors include:
- 2009: William “Billy” Sullivan, original owner
- 2013: Gil Santos, radio play-by-play
- 2021: Tracy Sormanti, cheerleader
- 2023: Dante Scarnecchia, coach
- 2025: Bill Parcells, coach
Similar to Vinatieri, the argument could be made that the voting process should’ve been waived for Parcells to get in years ago, perhaps even just including him in any of the previous classes would’ve been a way to do it.
Although Parcells has a unique situation in regards to the Patriots, one that fans still aren’t over, he did create, identify, and mold the foundation of the first part of the double dynasty that Bill Belichick inherited when he took over as head coach.
By Kraft inducting Parcells into the Hall of Fame as a contributor, and rightfully so, is him acknowledging that the fan voting process has its flaws. With this, he should also understand that this is only going to create a backlog of eligible players for years to come.
Another example of the voting process having its flaws is Wes Welker. Welker has never even made it onto the ballot, which is voted by the local media members. In six years, Welker totaled 7,459 yards and scored 37 touchdowns, more than Edelman accumulated in 11 years. In this scenario, the only difference between the two is Super Bowl rings.
One last example is Mike Vrabel. Vrabel was a seven-time finalist before getting inducted in 2023 over Mankins, who is a finalist again in 2025, and Parcells, who is being inducted as a contributor by Kraft.
Kraft needs to recognize that when there’s a finalist seven times like it was for Vrabel, it also leaves off the possibility of seven other players being voted to the ballot. It just creates a never-ending backlog that will need to be addressed eventually.
Here are a few suggestions Kraft should consider when it comes to the Hall of Fame moving forward.
- Induct more than one player per year.
- Induct both an offensive and defensive player per year.
- Step in when necessary to alter the process if it calls for it.
The Patriots Hall of Fame is an extraordinary event that the Krafts put on well for their Red Jacket Club, but it’s time to change the process by creating a structure with criteria.