At least one member of Patriots dynasty made Hall of Fame this year

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At least one member of the Patriots dynasty made the Hall of Fame this year

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Feb 5, 2026 10:57 PM ET

In the weeks leading up to Thursday's announcement for the NFL's 2026 Hall of Fame class, there was more discussion and outrage over who was not getting in than who might get in.

When word surfaced that former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, as well as team owner Robert Kraft (who has been eligible and not voted in every year since 2013), did not get the required votes for induction there was outrage directed at everybody and everything. The 50-person panel of voters faced heat, the voting system faced heat, and thinkpieces were written about why they got snubbed.

Well, Patriots fans and the Patriots organization can at least take pride in the fact that at least one person from their 2000s-2010s dynasty made the Super Bowl.

It is kicker Adam Vinatieri.

Adam Vinatieri one of five members of 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Vinatieri joins quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Luke Kuechly and running back Roger Craig in this year's class.

The 2026 @ProFootballHOF Class! @Novartis | #NFLHonors pic.twitter.com/mS899W2rE6
— NFL (@NFL) February 6, 2026

Brees and Fitzgerald seemed like easy first-ballot Hall of Famers given how dominant their careers were and how they spent more than a decade among the best players in the league at their respective positions.

Craig has been eligible since 1999 and finally got his name called this season.

Kuechly made it in on his second year of eligibility.

What makes Vinatieri such a notable inclusion in this year's class is both the fact it came with the sub-plot of both Belichick and Kraft not getting enough votes, and the fact he is only the third pure kicker to ever make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The only other two pure kickers to ever be inducted or former Kansas City Chiefs great Jan Stenerud (1991) and Morten Anderson (2017).

Vinatieri is widely regarded as one of the best clutch, big-game kickers in NFL history, making two game-winning field goals for the Patriots in Super Bowls and winning four overall. He won three of those championships with the Patriots and a fourth with the Indianapolis Colts.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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