The Pro Football Hall of Fame issued a statement Wednesday following a report Tuesday that six-time Super Bowl head coach Bill Belichick was not voted into the 2026 class in his first year.
According to the statement, if it is determined that voting members “are in violation of the bylaws of the selection process” that “action will be taken,” including removal as a member of the selection committee.
ESPN reported Tuesday that Belichick did not receive the required 40 votes from the 50-person panel, news that prompted swift and strong criticism across the sport. The Hall of Fame statement did not mention Belichick by name, but referred to “media related” Class of 2026.
“The Pro Football Hall of Fame understands and respects the passionate response of many fans, members of the media and members of the Hall itself in light of the published reports of the results of the voting for the 2026 class,” the Hall said. “It is precisely this passion that drives the game forward. The hall also respects the members of the selection committee when they follow the rules of selection. It is an honor to serve as a selection committee.
“Every year, the chamber reviews the selection process and the appointment of a 50-member selection committee. If it is found that any member has violated the selection.
law, they understand that action will be taken. That could include the possibility that such pitchers would not remain members of the committee going forward.
“Selecting a new class is the most important duty the Hall of Fame oversees each year, and the integrity of that process cannot be questioned.”
ESPN, citing several sources who spoke with the coach last weekend, reported that Belichick was “surprised” and “disappointed” with the outcome of the vote.
The report about Belichick’s slap was met with significant criticism, including from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who wrote Tuesday on social media: “Insane … can’t even understand how this could be possible.
Public outcry continued to grow Wednesday as former Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady, who won six Super Bowl titles with Belichick, and New England owner Robert Kraft expressed their displeasure.
“I just think to myself, I don’t understand it,” Brady said Wednesday during an appearance on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk show. “I mean, I was with him every day. If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, which is completely ridiculous because people deserve to coach him more than him. I’m picking one coach to go out, win a Super Bowl, give me one season, I’ll take Bill Belichick.”
Belichick “unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer,” Kraft, a finalist for this year’s Hall of Fame class, said in a statement to The Associated Press.
Belichick was hired by New England in 2000 and led the franchise to six Super Bowl victories and three other title game appearances over an 18-year span from 2001-18. Belichick’s 333 regular-season wins and playoff appearances with New England and the Cleveland Browns are second all-time behind Don Shula’s 347. He won AP NFL Coach of the Year three times. Belichick was also one of the top defensive assistants in the game before taking over in New England, winning two previous Super Bowls as the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator.
Belichick’s career had its flaws, though. He was implicated in a sign theft scandal dubbed “Spygate” in 2007 and was fined $500,000 after the team was caught taking a New York Jets defensive sign during a game.
Belichick’s tenure in New England ended after the 2023 season. He has just completed his first year as a coach at a college in North Carolina.