Belichick Snubbed from Pro Football Hall of Fame

Joseph McLaughlin
4 days ago
3 min read

Joseph McLaughlin

1/29/26 - Sportz Nation

Photo Credit: David Butler II/Imagn Images.

Former Patriots Head Coach, Bill Belichick, received a phone call from the Professional Football Hall of Fame on Friday afternoon that left him disappointed. He was told he would not be inducted into Canton during his first year of eligibility.

Belichick did not receive the 40 of 50 votes required to be inducted during his first year on the ballot. Several sources who talked to Belichick over the weekend described him as puzzled and confused over the decision.

“Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?” asked Belichick during the phone call. “What does a guy have to do?”

The eight-time Super Bowl-winning head coach is right to question the decision, considering the accomplishments he has achieved in his 49 years in the NFL. Belichick led the New England Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six, and won two Lombardi trophies with the New York Giants as the defensive coordinator.

Belichick also has the second most wins all-time as a head coach with 333, only behind Don Shula, who has 347 total wins to his name. Shula was also a first ballot Hall of Famer, being inducted in 1997.

The snub has left the sports world in a state of shock and outrage. Professional athletes and coaches, current and former, have expressed their displeasure with the voters’ decision.

“I don’t understand it,” said Seven-Time Super Bowl Champion and current Fox Analyst Tom Brady. “I mean, I was with him every day. If he’s not a first ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a first ballot Hall of Famer, which is ridiculous because people deserve it. He’s incredible. There’s no coach I’d rather play for.”

Patrick Mahomes, the current three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs, called the decision “insane,” stating, “I don’t understand how this could be possible.” Lawrence Taylor called his former coach’s exclusion “total bulls—”. Even NBA legend LeBron James calls the snub “impossible, egregious, and quite frankly disrespectful.”

There is more than meets the eye with this snub, as it certainly does not have to do with the debate of Belichick’s accomplishments. Many reporters have said the cause of this has to be punishment for Belichick’s involvement in two cheating scandals with the Patriots: the 2007 Spygate scandal and the 2016 Deflategate scandal.

Others believe it could be the cause of personal vendettas against Belichick from rival markets. The likeliest reason for the snub appears to be a combination of the cheating scandals and a crowded ballot that featured many senior candidates such as former San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end L.C. Greenwood, and Patriots Owner Robert Kraft.

“Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick's record and body of work speak for themselves,” said Kraft about his former colleague to the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Belichick, now the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels football team, has faced controversy since leaving New England. His 4-8 record in his first season with the Tarheels did not look great, and his current relationship with 24-year-old former cheerleader and beauty pageant contestant Jordan Hudson has been the most scrutinized relationship in the history of sports. However, none of that should impact Belichick’s eligibility for the Hall of Fame.

It is surprising to see Belichick not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but it seems almost certain that he will be enshrined in Canton at some point during his eligibility. If he is not, however, that would be a story told forever, and the integrity of Canton may be put into jeopardy. It is too soon to say that, though. Even though this is shocking, do not be surprised to hear Belichick’s name called this time next year to live on forever among football’s greatest names.