Why Bill Belichick Is Not a First-Ballot Hall of Famer – And Why the Snub Is Absurd
Bill Belichick is not a first ballot Hall of Famer. No, that’s not a misprint. Bill Belichick, he who has eight Super Bowl rings, one for each finger sans thumbs, is not a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Listen, we get there’s some controversy surrounding Belichick and the New England Patriots. Deflategate. The Tuck Rule. Spygate. But, as with any dynasty, there’s going to be a lot of noise and chatter from fans who just get tired of seeing the winning. The Kansas City Chiefs are constantly criticized for the refs helping them build their own mini-dynasty.
That said, nothing should hold Belichick back from being a first ballot NFL Hall of Famer. The voters decided, seemingly purely out of spite, to hold him out for the first year of eligibility.
This is stupidity on steroids. And the folks in Canton should pull the voting rights from whoever staged this little stunt, because they’ve become an instant overnight joke.
Take their vote away. If those who voted against Belichick refuse to fess up and reveal their vote, then pull the vote from all 50 and scrap the system entirely.
Bill Belichick, the 8-time Super Bowl-winning HC, is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, per @SethWickersham and @DVNJr. Belichick fell short of the 40 out of 50 votes needed for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.https://t.co/ooJutI0C0Q
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 27, 2026
Outkick reports that the reason for Belichick’s snub from the Hall of Fame is the fallout from Spygate, which they say is absurd, since he would still have won three Super Bowls and six conference championships even without that edge.
Huge NFL names are absolutely livid over the ridiculous stunt. One of them is a Hall of Famer in his own right, former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, who didn’t hold back at all.
“I would like to know the names of the assholes who did not vote for him,” he wrote on X. “They are too cowardly to identify themselves.”
It’s such a ridiculous move that the NFL should consider just scrapping the vote and enshrining Belichick in spite of this nonsense.
Legendary former defensive end JJ Watt, a future Hall of Famer, couldn’t believe the news either.
“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,” he said. “There is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer.”
NFL insider Jordan Schulz called the move an “absolute joke.”
Regardless of your opinion of Bill Belichick, him not being a first ballot Hall of Famer is a disgrace — and a direct indictment on the Hall of Fame itself.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 27, 2026
Just an absolute joke. pic.twitter.com/TBuyVnbZAg
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We officially live in a world where the NFL doesn’t view Bill Belichick as a Hall of Fame coach, but they view Shedeur Sanders as a Pro Bowler. Absolutely absurd.
Belichick is, without a doubt, a Hall of Fame coach due to his unparalleled record of success and innovation in the NFL.
He holds the record for the most Super Bowl victories by any head coach with six titles—all won with the New England Patriots between 2001 and 2018. He appeared in nine Super Bowls as head coach and earned eight rings total (including two as defensive coordinator with the New York Giants).
He was named NFL Coach of the Year three times, earned spots on the NFL’s All-Decade Teams for the 2000s and 2010s, and was part of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, cementing his status as one of the greatest strategic minds and winners in football history.
Plus, he dates a 24-year-old cheerleader. The resume is beyond compare.