New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Washington Commanders senior advisor Doug Williams have advanced to the final five contributor nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2027. Neither has been elected. The Contributor Subcommittee will choose one candidate on Nov. 17 for the full Selection Committee to consider, leaving four of the remaining nominees outside that final discussion.
Ralph Hay, Virginia McCaskey and John Wooten are also in contention. The five emerged from an original pool of 42 nominees. For Williams, the selection comes under a broader definition of what the Hall can consider.
Changes announced in September allow a contributor's playing and coaching careers to be considered alongside other work in football. That connects multiple parts of Williams' career rather than limiting the discussion to his front-office responsibilities. The former Washington quarterback threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns against Denver in Super Bowl XXII, earning MVP honors following the 1987 season.
He later coached Grambling State and worked in scouting and personnel roles. Williams is now Washington's senior advisor to general manager Adam Peters. His work includes supporting the personnel department with the draft, free agency and scouting.
The Commanders list this as his 13th season in a front-office role with the franchise. Kraft's case includes New England's sustained success since he bought the Patriots in 1994. The franchise has won six Super Bowls and appeared in 11 during his ownership.
He advanced from the contributor group to the annual selection meeting last year. Reaching the final five again does not automatically return him to that meeting; the subcommittee must select him over the other four nominees. The Hall also reduced its Selection Committee from 50 members to 28 for this election cycle.
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