Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick is a coach category finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2027.
The other finalists are Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves, and Mike Shanahan. Belichick was the category’s representative last year, the first time he became eligible for the Hall, while Holmgren was the choice from 2020-2025.
The coach subcommittee chose the finalists from an initial pool of 14 nominees and will meet on Nov. 17 to select one candidate to present to the full selection committee.
Belichick was not among the inductees last year, sparking intense criticism about the Hall’s voting process. The system has since changed as a result of Belichick’s omission.
On Thursday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft was named one of the five finalists for the contributor category.
The chosen candidates from the coach and contributor categories will join 13 modern-era players on the ballot for the full selection committee to consider. Three to seven individuals will be enshrined, according to the current bylaws, with each candidate needing approval from at least 80 percent of the committee.
Road to recovery
Kraft will miss multiple upcoming events because he is recovering from back surgery.
Kraft, who turned 85 in June, will not attend former tight end Rob Gronkowski’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony Saturday afternoon. Nor will Kraft be at Gillette Stadium for Sunday’s Patriots-Packers game. He also will not travel to Munich the following week for the team’s game against the Lions.
“I always told Gronk that in my next life, I wanted to come back as him because I had never seen him have a bad day,” Kraft told ESPN. “But after a couple of back surgeries, I take that back. I never want to experience that again.”
The last time the Patriots played in Germany, in Frankfurt in November 2023, Kraft addressed fans at the team’s popup fan experience.
Maye’s month
Quarterback Drake Maye was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October. Maye is the first Patriot to receive the honor since Tom Brady in November 2017.
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com. Follow her on X @nicolecyang.