Bill Belichick was shockingly snubbed from the Hall of Fame recently. That’s right, the man who won six Super Bowls as a head coach and two more as a defensive coordinator is somehow being left out as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. It’s confusing, especially since even Tom Brady wrote a note to the voters beforehand that should have made the selection a slam dunk.
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There are some popular reasons fans have floated for why Belichick was snubbed. Deflategate and Spygate top the list. Many still view the coach differently for being involved in the cheating scandals. Deflategate was actually never proven to be true, but the NFL deemed it “more probable than not.”
Another argument some fans make is that Brady helped Belichick win more Super Bowls than he otherwise would have. They point to Belichick’s record with and without Brady, which is drastically different. However, Brady doesn’t see it that way. That’s why he went to bat for Belichick by writing directly to the voting committee ahead of the decision.
In the note, the former quarterback pushed back on the idea that he was the driving force behind the New England Patriots’ success and instead credited his former coach for the dynasty.
“His mindset, his consistency, his ability to adapt and evolve — was unmatched. He expected a championship-level standard from everyone in the building, and he got it. That’s why we won! And that’s why he belongs in Canton,” Brady penned, adding,
“I’m grateful for what we accomplished together, and I’ll always be proud of the team we built. No one’s more deserving of this honor than Coach Belichick.”
All in all, it was a nice note from the QB about his former coach. Many fans in the past have called out Brady for selling out to the media and not defending or standing up for Belichick at times. Those fans don’t have much to say now.
During my presentation I shared the following note with HOF selectors from Tom Brady:
“I don’t believe that any coach in the history of the game has done more to earn his place in the Hall of Fame than Bill Belichick. To say that he was my greatest coaching influence would be an…
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) January 28, 2026
NFL fans on Reddit reacted to Brady’s note with plenty of enthusiasm. “This made me happy to read,” one wrote.
“New England vs. everybody,” another chimed in.
“I don’t think it would’ve been a surprise for him to get in unanimously, so to not get in at all is just nonsensical,” a third added.
Reddit fan reaction to Belichick snub pic.twitter.com/0lntreC021
— Semper (@Semper152892) January 28, 2026
At the end of the day, it makes absolutely no sense that Belichick isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer. His resume speaks for itself with eight rings, 17 AFC East titles, and 13 AFC Championship appearances. The only reason he could have been left out is voter pettiness. It’s a shame if that’s the reality we’re dealing with.
Hall of Fame voters in every sport take cheating very seriously, though. After all, Barry Bonds, who many consider to be the greatest hitter in MLB history, is not in the HoF because of his steroid and PED usage in the 2000s. So, this isn’t unheard of, it just feels wrong.
Belichick will surely make the Hall one day (hopefully), but he will not be a first-ballot selection.
