A potential expansion to the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class bodes well for Patriots owner Robert Kraft's chances of making the cut.
As part of the NFL's 100th-anniversary celebration, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is considering having 20 enshrinees in 2020 as opposed to the usual eight per year.
Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker discussed the possible change Monday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
"It is extremely elite company, and it's not the Hall of very, very good. It's the Hall of Fame, and so it should be difficult to make it," Baker said. "But there's a lot of guys through the years (who deserve to be honored but have not). We have several guys who are on all-decade teams who aren't in the Hall of Fame. And, so, this is an opportunity with the Centennial coming up. And what we've looked at potentially and has been approved, at least in concept, by our operating board, but we're going to have to go through the full board, is that potentially we would have 20 Hall of Famers enshrined for the year 2020."
Watch the clip below:
Baker says if the change is approved at the Hall of Fame's board meeting on Aug. 2, the inductees would consist of the five normal modern-era players elected from 15 finalists, 10 seniors, three contributors, and two coaches. More contributors being inducted would increase Kraft's odds of enshrinement in 2020.
Former Patriots defensive tackle Richard Seymour likely will be in the mix for 2020 as well after coming up short in the voting this year.
Even if the 2020 class isn't expanded, it's only a matter of time until Kraft gets in. The Patriots have earned six Super Bowl titles and 10 AFC championships since he purchased the team in 1994.
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