Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft may once again share an NFL stage.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday five individual finalists for potential induction into the 2026 class, including Kraft as a contributor and Belichick as a coach.
Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood are the three senior finalists.
It's the second season under the revised HOF induction process, which was intended to make it more exclusive. To be inducted, a candidate must garner at least 80% of the full Selection Committee votes. The committee will vote at its annual meeting next year in advance of the class unveiling during Super Bowl LX week in San Francisco. Each member may vote for only three of the five finalists.
A maximum of three of this year's finalists can be elected. If none receives 80% approval, the person with the highest percentage would be inducted into the Class of 2026.
Kraft and Belichick famously shared many stages, winning six Super Bowls during their dynastic run with the New England Patriots. However, after a 23-year run together, things ended contentiously for the owner and coach, with each jockeying for credit for the success.
The HOF voting adjustment was made to pit the candidates against one another, so it's possible that one may be left off the Canton stage. Or the duo that won 296 games together could be enshrined in the same class, underscoring their kinship -- even if things have since soured.
Below are the full bios of this year's contributor, coach and senior finalists, provided by the Hall of Fame:
Contributor Finalist (1): Robert Kraft
Kraft, the owner, chairman and CEO of the New England Patriots since 1994, has seen his teams win six Super Bowls and play in four others. Those 10 Super Bowl appearances are three more than any other owner in NFL history, an achievement magnified when considering the once dire straits of the club. In 1994, Kraft not only paid a record amount at the time ($172 million) to purchase a professional sports franchise to keep the Patriots from moving to St. Louis, but he also financed the construction of Gillette Stadium privately to give the franchise a permanent home. Every home game has been sold out since he bought the team, and the franchise now is valued at $9.25 billion. Kraft has served on 17 owners committees, including the broadcast/media committee since 1997, which he has chaired for the past 18 years.
The eight other semifinalists in the contributor category this year were K.S. "Bud" Adams, Roone Arledge, Ralph Hay, Frank "Bucko" Kilroy, Art Rooney Jr., Clark Shaughnessy, Seymour Siwoff and Buddy Young.
Coach Finalist (1): Bill Belichick
Belichick began his nearly five-decade career in the NFL as a special assistant with the Baltimore Colts in 1975. After winning two Super Bowl rings as an assistant coach with the New York Giants (1986, 1990), he took his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns (1991-95). In 2000, he succeeded Pete Carroll in New England and in his second season led the Patriots to the first of their six Super Bowl victories over an 18-season span. Belichick finished his head coaching career with an overall record of 333-178 -- second only to Hall of Famer Don Shula's 347 career NFL victories -- and won 31 of 44 games (.705) in the playoffs. Among his numerous accolades, Belichick is a member of the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
The eight other semifinalists in the coach category this year were Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Mike Shanahan.
Seniors Finalists (3): Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, L.C. Greenwood
Anderson, a third-round draft choice (67th player overall) from tiny Augustana (Ill.) College in the 1971 NFL Draft, started four games at quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals as a rookie before becoming their full-time starter in his second season. He played exclusively for the Bengals, 192 games overall through the 1986 season, and finished his career with four Pro Bowl nods, a League MVP award for the 1981 season and 32,838 passing yards with 197 passing touchdowns.
Craig might be best-known as the first player in the National Football League to total 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season (1985), a feat matched by only two other players in the following 40 seasons (Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey). Craig won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers, where he spent eight seasons before a year with the Los Angeles Raiders and two with the Minnesota Vikings. For his career, he totaled 13,100 yards from scrimmage and scored 73 touchdowns. He was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year in 1988, when he also finished third in MVP voting.
Greenwood, a member of the famous "Steel Curtain" defensive units in the 1970s, played his entire 170-game career over 13 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Drafted in the 10th round (pick 238 overall) in the 1969 NFL Draft out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Greenwood won four Super Bowl rings, was named a first-team All-Pro defensive end twice and was selected to play in six Pro Bowls. He was credited with 78 sacks (an unofficial stat during his playing career) and 14 fumble recoveries.
Also advancing to the semifinalist stage in the seniors category were Henry Ellard, Joe Jacoby, Eddie Meador, Stanley Morgan, Steve Tasker and Otis Taylor. Players in this group last could have appeared in a professional game in the 2000 season.
