Kraft Undergoes Back Surgery, Misses Two Games
Patriots owner Robert Kraft will sit out the team's next two contests while recovering from the procedure.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Football
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, 85, underwent back surgery and will miss the team's next two games, he revealed Thursday morning. The Patriots host the Green Bay Packers Sunday afternoon.
Why it matters
Kraft's absence comes as the franchise balances on-field competition with a high-profile Hall of Fame celebration for former tight end Rob Gronkowski. His statement also tied his separate push to remove rapper Macklemore from a concert tour to the rapper's comments and broader antisemitic rhetoric.
Kraft's absence covers the Patriots' next two games, including Sunday's home contest against Green Bay and next week's game against Detroit in Munich, Germany. Gronkowski's induction and halftime celebration fall on the same weekend, but the extraction does not say whether Kraft's recovery will affect those events.
The players
Robert Kraft
Owner of the New England Patriots, who is 85 years old and recovering from back surgery. He also urged promoters to drop Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour.
Rob Gronkowski
Former Patriots tight end who played nine seasons with the team and won five Super Bowls. He is being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Macklemore
Rapper whose pro-Palestinian comments during a September 5 New Jersey show prompted Kraft's call for his removal from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour.
The details
Kraft disclosed the back surgery Thursday morning. Gronkowski, who played nine seasons with the Patriots and won five Super Bowls, will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame Saturday and celebrated at halftime of Sunday's game.
Timeline
September 5: Macklemore made pro-Palestinian comments at a New Jersey show on Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour.
April: Gronkowski was voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Thursday: Kraft announced his back surgery and missed games.
Saturday: Gronkowski's Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Sunday: Patriots host the Packers; Gronkowski is celebrated at halftime.
Season Trajectory
Kraft's statement connects his push against Macklemore to a broader history of challenging antisemitic rhetoric in entertainment that he has pursued publicly. The owner's absence during a stretch of two games arrives as the Patriots mark a Hall of Fame moment for one of the franchise's most decorated players.
Kraft's absence over the next two games removes the team's owner from the stadium during Sunday's home contest and next week's trip to Munich. Fans attending Sunday's game will see Gronkowski recognized at halftime, a moment that falls on the same weekend as his induction.
The takeaway
Kraft's medical absence and the Gronkowski celebration share a single weekend, making Sunday's Patriots game a focal point for both the franchise's present and its recent history. Readers following the team can track Kraft's return timeline as the schedule moves into Munich.
What happens next
Gronkowski's Hall of Fame induction takes place Saturday, with his halftime celebration at Sunday's home game against the Packers.
Further reading
Explore more Football coverage for context on the Patriots' upcoming schedule.
