NEED TO KNOW
- Bill Belichick will reportedly not be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility, after failing to secure the 40 out of 50 votes needed
- Reports claim that the former New England Patriots coach was “puzzled” and “disappointed” with the news that he would not be entering the Hall of Fame
- Several NFL athletes expressed their disbelief and outrage over the snub following the reports
Bill Belichick will reportedly not be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility — leaving several top NFL athletes and coaches baffled.
The former New England Patriots coach — who went to eight Super Bowls and had 333 career wins — fell short of the 40 out of 50 votes he needed to secure in order to become a Hall of Famer, several sources told ESPN and USA Today.
According to ESPN’s sources, Belichick, 73, was “puzzled” and “disappointed” that he was unable to secure enough support from the Hall of Fame committee members, with the snub prompting him to ask an associate, “Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?”
During his NFL career, Belichick led the Patriots to the six Super Bowls. He also won two more Super Bowls as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.
One source familiar with the University of North Carolina head coach, told ESPN that “politics kept him out.” The insider added that “he doesn’t believe this is a reflection on his accomplishments.”
Following the news that Belichick would not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, several NFL stars, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, took to social media to express their disbelief. “Insane… don’t even understand how this could be possible,” he posted on X.
Former NFL defensive end J.J. Watt also expressed his shock, writing, “I can’t be reading this right.”
“This has to be some knock-off Hall of Fame or something, it can’t be the actual NFL Hall of Fame,” Watt, 36, continued. “There is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer.”
Jimmy Johnson — the two-time Super Bowl winning coach of the Dallas Cowboys who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020 — expressed his outrage at the news.
“As a HOF coach I think Bill Belichick is the greatest of all time,” he wrote on X. “Yes he had a great QB but we all did..he won AFTER THE salary cap and free agency plus I Know how much he LOVES THE NFL and the game..I’m pissed..”
Other star athletes outside of football, including LeBron James, also weighed in. James, 41, wrote on X, “Man there’s no way I read that right! Right? Ain’t no WAY Bill Belichick ain’t 1st Ballot HOF!! That’s IMPOSSIBLE, EGREGIOUS, and quite frankly DISRESPECTFUL!”
During his NFL career, Belichick secured 333 total wins, ranking him as second all-time in NFL history behind former football coach Don Shula, who had 347 wins. Due to his Super Bowl victories and record, several fans believed that he would secure a Hall of Fame induction.
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However, some of the Patriots’ former controversies, which occurred under Belichick’s tenure, may have played a role in his omission, one insider told ESPN. This includes the “Deflategate” scandal — which alleged the Patriots intentionally under-inflated footballs for an unfair grip advantage in the January 2015 AFC Championship.
A veteran Hall of Fame voter told ESPN that “the only explanation [for the outcome] was the cheating stuff.” They added, “It really bothered some of the guys.”
Belichick was a Hall of Fame finalist this year alongside Patriots owner Robert Kraft, former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson, San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig and late Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end L.C. Greenwood, per ESPN.
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