Bill Belichick’s résumé leaves little room for debate. Six Super Bowl titles as head coach, nine overall championships including his years as a coordinator, and a defensive legacy that reshaped modern NFL strategy have long positioned him as a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The surprise came not from whether Belichick belongs, but from when. His failure to earn first-ballot induction ignited sharp reactions across the league and among Hall of Fame voters themselves.
One of those voters, Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star, publicly explained his reasoning after the results were announced. Gregorian emphasized that his decision reflected frustration with the Hall’s voting mechanics rather than opposition to Belichick or Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
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The process allows voters to select only three of five finalists, a structure that can force difficult and controversial trade-offs.
“I voted for the three senior candidates: Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood,” Gregorian wrote. “You could call that rationalizing, I suppose. And I’m suddenly reminded of the fortune cookie wisdom that you should never try to explain, since your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.”
Gregorian also addressed speculation that scandals from Belichick‘s tenure in New England influenced the vote. The Patriots’ involvement in Deflategate and Spygate has long lingered in discussions of the dynasty’s legacy, but Gregorian made clear those issues were not decisive for him.
“Perhaps that affected some voters, perhaps not. I can’t and won’t try to speak for others, and it’s a condition of being a voter to not divulge the deliberations,” he wrote.
“But the so-called ‘cheating stuff’ is not at all the only possible explanation. Because it certainly didn’t ultimately influence my vote.”
Belichick fell short of the required 40 votes from the 50-member selection committee, a narrow miss that immediately became a national talking point.
The controversy highlighted long-standing criticism of the Hall’s selection structure, which often pits transformational figures against overdue candidates from earlier eras.
A legacy that still looms over the league
Reaction from Belichick‘s former players was swift and emotional. Tom Brady, whose partnership with Belichick produced the most successful run in NFL history, voiced disbelief during a radio appearance in Seattle.
“I don’t understand it,” Brady said during a Seattle Sports radio appearance.
“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 it. He’s incredible.
“There’s no coach I’d rather play for. If I’m taking one coach to go out there to win a Super Bowl, give me one season, I’m taking Bill Belichick. So that’s enough said.”
Around the league, executives and analysts echoed similar sentiments, noting Belichick‘s influence on defensive game-planning, situational football, and roster construction. His coaching tree continues to populate sidelines and front offices across the NFL, reinforcing his enduring impact.
Belichick, now the head coach at North Carolina, became eligible because he has not coached in the NFL since 2023. He will reappear on the ballot as part of the 2027 class.
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