2026 Patriots Hall of Fame Nominees Announced

Three coveted former members of the New England Patriots have been announced as the 2026 Patriots Hall of Fame nominees.

Oct 30, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) looks on from the sideline during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. The Patriots beat the Bills 41-25. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-Imagn Images | Kevin Hoffman-Imagn Images

Rob Gronkowski, Logan Mankins and Adam Vinatieri have been announced as the 2026 New England Patriots Hall of Fame nominees.

Patriots fans can vote once per day, with voting to close on April 28 through 11:00 p.m. EST, per the New England press release. The announcement came from The Hall on April 8. A 20-person nomination committee made the selections.

Beginning in 2007, the Patriots started inducting at least one player into the team's hall of fame each year. The process involves a panel of media, alumni and staff who collectively nominate the players or head coaches most deserving of induction. After the nominations are made, the committee votes, and the top three tallies become that year's finalists. The Patriots then give fans the opportunity to vote online to select each year's inductee.

Your 2026 @Patriots Hall of Fame nominees!

Vote for the next member of The Hall: https://t.co/AyUmJaEOKH pic.twitter.com/zU2WapdoCg

— The Hall presented by RTX (@TheHall) April 8, 2026

The Patriots remain the only team in the NFL that allows its fans to make the final selection for enshrinement.

For the nominees, this marks Gronkowski's first-year as an eligible candidate. Vinatieri is now a second-time consecutive finalist while Mankins is a four-time finalist (2022, 2023 and 2025).

Rob Gronkowski, Logan Mankins and Adam Vinatieri Named 2026 Patriots Hall of Fame Nominees

Gronkowski played for nine seasons (2010-18) with the Patriots, amounting to 521 receptions for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdown receptions in the regular season and posted 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns in the postseason.

He ranks first in Patriots history with 80 total touchdowns (79 receiving and one rushing), and his 7,861 receiving yards are second in team history.

His nomination comes after he officially retired with New England in Nov., 2025.

Mankins is often recognized as one of the best offensive linemen in Pats' franchise history. He played nine of his 11 NFL seasons with New England after being selected as a first rounder in 2005.

He is a three-time team captain and earned six Pro Bowl selections and six All-Pro honors (2007, 2009-13) during his time with the Patriots.

Mankins started in all 130 regular season and 17 postseason games in which he appeared as a member of the Patriots. With Mankins in the lineup at left guard, the Patriots offense finished in the top 10 in eight of his nine seasons with the team.

December 11, 2011; Landover, MD, USA; New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins (70) stands on the field during warm-ups prior to the Patriots game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Vinatieri — a placekicker — joined the Patriots as a first-year free agent out of South Dakota State in 1996. While he did spend the final 14 years of his career with Indianapolis from 2006-2019, he still remains the league's all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points, as well as the NFL record-holder for most field goals made (599), postseason points scored (238) and overtime field goals made (12).

The Patriots Hall of Fame is also home to the Patriots' six Lombardi Trophies.

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