Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer despite winning eight Super Bowl titles, including a record six as head coach of the New England Patriots and two as the New York Giants defensive coordinator.
ESPN revealed the news Tuesday evening, claiming Belichick did not get the requisite 40 minimal votes needed for induction into the Canton, Ohio institution. He can still be on the ballot for up to 20 years, so Belichick has a very good chance at enshrinement at some point in the future.
A spokesperson for the Hall of Fame declined to comment on the voting results to the Daily Mail.
Belichick was informed about the decision on Friday afternoon, ESPN reported.
Now the head coach at North Carolina, Belichick was reportedly ‘puzzled’ and ‘disappointed’ after failing to secure the requisite 80-percent of the vote from HOF committee members.
‘Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?’ one source close to Belichick told ESPN. ‘What does a guy have to do?’
Bill Belichick has more Super Bowl titles (six) than any head coach in NFL history
Another source blamed ‘politics’ for keeping Belichick out Canton.
‘Politics kept him out,’ the source told ESPN. ‘He doesn’t believe this is a reflection on his accomplishments.’
The source did not reveal the specific ‘politics’ they were referencing.
Belichick does have his detractors within the league following several rules violations. Most notably, there was his infamous 2007 sign-stealing scandal, Spygate, which resulted in a $500,000 fine for the coach and the loss of a first-round draft pick for the team.
He also had his critics in the press box, which is significant because the 50-person Selection Committee is mostly made of media members. The group is comprised of reporters from each NFL city, including two for New York and Los Angeles, a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and 17 at-large representatives.
Those at-large members include the likes of longtime executive Bill Polian, Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy, and Hall-of-Fame quarterback Dan Fouts.
Belichick, who is second in NFL coaching wins behind only Don Shula, has declined comment. Likewise, his outspoken girlfriend, 24-year-old Jordon Hudson, has not offered her reaction on social media.
He seemingly benefitted from a recent rule change, slashing the minimum five-year waiting period for eligibility down to just one for coaches. Unfortunately for the 73-year-old Tar Heels coach, that change didn’t prove helpful in 2026.
Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson attend Michael Rubin’s 2025 Fanatics Super Bowl Party
Football insiders were left dumbfounded by the decision, starting with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
‘Insane… don’t even understand how this could be possible,’ Mahomes wrote online.
Long-time Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt was equally stupefied.
‘I can’t be reading this right,’ Watt wrote on X. ‘This has to be some knock-off Hall of Fame or something, it can’t be the actual NFL Hall of Fame.
‘There is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer.’
Another former rival player, ESPN analyst and ex-Steelers safety Ryan Clark, believes Belichick is the greatest coach in NFL history.
‘Bill Belichick not being a first ballot Hall of Famer means that no coach should ever be,’ Clark wrote on X. ‘It means that the voters have decided there isn’t a coaching resume that warrants First Ballot consideration!
‘He is the GREATEST, most ACCOMPLISHED coach of all time! This is egregious!’
Belichick’s rival and former boss, Robert Kraft, is a Hall-of-Fame finalist this year
The Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 will be named during Super Bowl week on February 5 in San Francisco.
Interestingly, Patriots owner and rumored Belichick-rival Robert Kraft is a finalist for the Hall of Fame. Although the pair won six Super Bowls together, their relationship reportedly frayed over the years and Kraft warned the Atlanta Falcons against hiring Belichick in 2024, ESPN claimed at the time.
A Patriots spokesperson later denied Kraft ever disparaged Belichick to Falcons owner Arthur Blank.
As far as players, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees and legendary receiver Larry Fitzgerald headline a group of four modern-era finalists entering their first year of eligibility.
Tight end Jason Witten and running back Frank Gore are also first-year candidates, while right tackle Willie Anderson, wideout Torry Holt, linebacker Luke Kuechly and kicker Adam Vinatieri are all back as finalists.
Six other returning finalists include quarterback Eli Manning, receiver Reggie Wayne, offensive guards Jahri Evans and Marshal Yandal, as well as safety Darren Woodson and edge rusher Terrell Suggs.
