With names like Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald headlining the event, the induction ceremony for the 2026 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame figured to be a special one. Unfortunately, it now seems as if all anyone can talk about is who won’t be there instead.
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ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. managed to set the football world on fire Tuesday night with a bombshell report. They named the former general manager of the Buffalo Bills, Bill Polian, as the primary reason for the eight-time Super Bowl champion, Bill Belichick, not being a first-ballot NFL Hall of Famer.
According to their anonymous source, Polian allegedly “told some voters he believed Belichick should ‘wait a year’ before induction as penance for Spygate.” Seeing as Belichick is the most decorated play caller in the history of the sport, the announcement of his omission from this year’s class has left everyone from fans and former players to current voters and industry elites irate.
🚨BREAKING: #NFL FANS ARE CALLING FOR BILL POLIAN TO BE REMOVED FROM THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME.
Polian was the driving force in convincing voters to oppose Bill Belichick being a first-ballot Hall of Famer because of his personal hatred and jealousy of Belichick.
WOW. pic.twitter.com/i5C8QJekND
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) January 28, 2026
In fact, one HOF voter, Gary Myers of New York, was so embarrassed by the result that he felt the need to clarify his stance on social media. “I believe in full transparency,” he tweeted.
“I voted for Bill Belichick and I am embarrassed for our 50-member committee that the greatest coach in NFL history is not a first ballot HOFer and some voters apparently felt he deserved to be punished for Spygate.”
As a @ProFootballHOF voter, I believe in full transparency: I voted for Bill Belichick and I am embarrassed for our 50-member committee that the greatest coach in NFL history is not a first ballot HOFer and some voters apparently felt he deserved to be punished for Spygate.
— Gary Myers (@GaryMyersNY) January 28, 2026
Throw in the fact that Polian is now claiming that he can not “remember with 100% certainty if he voted for Belichick” and that he is only “95% sure” that he voted for the former Patriot and “a player,” and things only look worse for him.
Between the multiple sources and Polian’s perceived inability to stand by his own decision, it’s certainly hard to argue against those who are currently calling for him to lose his voting privileges.
To remove the former general manager from the Hall of Fame may be going a bit far, but it is also understood that a failure of this magnitude reflects poorly on the entire Pro Football Hall of Fame, not just Polian. He’s essentially done irreparable damage to the Hall’s reputation, and for as long as his vote remains in consideration, it will be increasingly difficult for the public to acknowledge these awards as anything other than a farce.
