PATRIOTS NEWS Patriots Announce 2026 HOF Finalists

turkeyneck · Apr 9, 2026

lancerman said:
This is a kinda annoying because Vinatieri really deserves to not wait longer for a guy who debuted years after he left. He's also the GOAT kicker and was probably the most important non Brady player of the early dynasty. But he'll probably lose out because Gronk's a bigger name and his position. Which sucks because he already got snubbed from first ballot because he was a kicker

Your argumet is valid but can be recursively applied in turn to any number of deserving candidates who were around before Adam V. The HoF process is broken and suffers badly from recency bias.

patfanken · Apr 9, 2026

lancerman said:
This is a kinda annoying because Vinatieri really deserves to not wait longer for a guy who debuted years after he left. He's also the GOAT kicker and was probably the most important non Brady player of the early dynasty. But he'll probably lose out because Gronk's a bigger name and his position. Which sucks because he already got snubbed from first ballot because he was a kicker

Most people forget Adam's most important contribution to the Pats. In 1999 Adam missed 3 FG's that season that would have tied or won games the Pats lost. If he had made those kicks the Pats might have been 11-5 instead of 8-8 and Pete Carroll would have been the HC of Pats as we entered the new century instead of BB.

JoeSixPat · Apr 9, 2026

Pape said:
I'm voting for Adam Vinatieri ...

Meh - I just don't see it. What has he done for us lately?

sb1 · Apr 9, 2026

Adam spent most of his career with the Colts but his legacy was made with the Patriots. I hope that gets recognized with a red jacket, and he should be.

I also hate that he was booed here. That was embarrassing and that's on the fanbase.

Pape · Apr 9, 2026

JoeSixPat said:
Meh - I just don't see it. What has he done for us lately?

lol

mike_usagisan · Apr 9, 2026

Those are three really good candidates. Gronk is obviously going to win.

mike_usagisan · Apr 9, 2026

Mankins is in that group of guys from the gap between the first dynasty and the second that were good enough to win a Super Bowl but didn't and will probably never get the respect they would from another organizations. Guys like Welker, Talib, etc.

Actual Pats Fan · Apr 9, 2026

Huckleberry1 said:
I don't think Belichick wanted Vinatieri any more. His kickoffs, especially in Foxborough, had become a problem. That said I don't think choosing another team removes players from consideration.

Adam didn't want to go. He said, "I'll gladly accept the franchise tag."

Colts couldn't believe he was available, snapped him right up & won the Super Bowl because of it.

Actual Pats Fan · Apr 9, 2026

Huckleberry1 said:
All 3 should get in, anything else is ridiculous.

Actual Pats Fan · Apr 9, 2026

patfanken said:
Most people forget Adam's most important contribution to the Pats. In 1999 Adam missed 3 FG's that season that would have tied or won games the Pats lost. If he had made those kicks the Pats might have been 11-5 instead of 8-8 and Pete Carroll would have been the HC of Pats as we entered the new century instead of BB.

TommyD4207 · Apr 9, 2026

Actual Pats Fan said:
Adam didn't want to go. He said, "I'll gladly accept the franchise tag."

Colts couldn't believe he was available, snapped him right up & won the Super Bowl because of it.

That is one impressive spin.

Zuma · Apr 9, 2026

I voted for Mankins because he was of that caliber and did the dirty work in the trenches that many don't appreciate.

Want Mankins to win / Gronk will win
Want Mankins to win / Adam will win

It takes a team to win...he just wasn't on that team.

Actual Pats Fan · Apr 9, 2026

TommyD4207 said:
That is one impressive 'stache.

fify

Nikolai · Apr 10, 2026

All three deserve it, and all three will get it...eventually. This is Gronk's year. The guy was a physical and cultural force, the latter helping with the "fame" part of the discussion.

I hate that Adam went to the Clots, but that doesn't diminish what he did here.

Mankins was a tough mother****er and I wish he could have been around for a Super Bowl win.

captain stone · Apr 12, 2026

The Real Answer should be: D, Julius Adams.

But of the 3 presented, there is Only One choice. Only. One.

TheRainMaker · Apr 12, 2026

The Pats don't get passed Oakland had Adam not bailed them out, but Gronk is the best TE we've seen in the last 25 years. Tony Gonzalez has the stats, but Gronk was the most physically dominating TE than Gonzalez ever was. Defenders had to resort to dirty tactics to get Gronk injured to stop him from running their asses over. The 2nd dynasty doesn't happen without Gronk and I believe Tom would've have left by the 2016 season.

stinkypete · Apr 15, 2026

There is no question at all.

Gronk was one of the most dominant offensive forces the game has ever seen. He is unparalleled.

Steve102 · Apr 15, 2026

Actual Pats Fan said:
Adam didn't want to go. He said, "I'll gladly accept the franchise tag."

Colts couldn't believe he was available, snapped him right up & won the Super Bowl because of it.

My memory is the absolute opposite, that he wasn't going to be franchised again.

h0c2000 · Apr 15, 2026

I happily booed Vinatieri on his first game at Gillette as a Colt. I thoroughly enjoyed his missed tow missed FG. I'd do it again 100 times over. That said him running down Hershel still makes me happy.

Huckleberry1 · Apr 15, 2026

sb1 said:
He will probably go if Jordon give him permission to go.

I think Belichick literally hates Kraft, and he will do whatever he can to spite him. I hope I'm wrong but that seems to be the track he's on.

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PATRIOTS NEWS Patriots Announce 2026 HOF Finalists

Who do you WANT to win, who do you think WILL win?

Want Gronk to win / Gronk will win

Want Gronk to win / Adam will win

Want Gronk to win / Mankins will win

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Want Adam to win / Adam will win

Want Adam to win / Mankins will win

Want Mankins to win / Gronk will win

Want Mankins to win / Adam will win

Want Mankins to win / Mankins will win

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