Ed Graney: What will Bill Belichick's Hall of Fame snub mean for Tom Brady?

Ed Graney, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Jan 29, 2026

Published in Football

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LAS VEGAS — It’s laughable. Absurd. Embarrassing. Certainly not a reflection of his accomplishments as an NFL coach, which is all this should be about.

Certainly not what should matter most.

As first reported by ESPN, Bill Belichick will not be inducted as a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer this summer. The former New England Patriots coach and his six Super Bowl rings (eight if you count the two he won as defensive coordinator with the New York Giants) didn’t receive the 40 of 50 votes needed for induction.

That’s because some casting ballots chose politics over common sense.

This isn’t about winning or losing or of Belichick’s success having more to do with Tom Brady at quarterback than any semblance of coaching genius.

This is about those who didn’t vote for him believing they should be the ones who hand down punishment for past transgressions, and they shouldn’t be.

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It has also amazed me how some who vote for such things — and I’m including other sports, specifically baseball — think it’s their right to play the part of judge, jury and executioner.

So when he gets in next year — and there is every reason to believe Belichick will — having made him serve a one-year atonement for what voters think are sins not to be overlooked will have made some level of difference? That’s a joke.

He already paid his dues (literally).

Spygate, when the Patriots in 2007 were found to be secretly videotaping signals of New York Jets coaches from the sidelines, saw Belichick fined $500,000. The team was fined $250,000 and stripped of a first-round draft pick.

Deflategate, when Brady was accused of deflating footballs used in New England’s 2014 AFC championship game win over the Indianapolis Colts, resulted in the quarterback being suspended for four games and the team fined $1 million and docked draft picks.

Now, Belichick seemed like a guy who knew everything regarding his team. But he wasn’t even cited in the deflation of footballs.

He was surly with the media. Didn’t placate to those with recorders and notepads. But if that had anything to do with at least 11 voters casting their ballots against him, it’s even worse than holding him accountable for what they consider crimes against the almighty NFL Shield.

“Sometimes, there’s no rhyme or reason for what happens with the vote,” said Nick Canepa, a columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune and past Hall of Fame voter. “It can be a crazy thing that I’ve never really been able to understand. Deflategate was a joke, and Spygate definitely didn’t help them win or lose a Super Bowl.

“He won six Super Bowls as a head coach. You can’t take that away. What else does he have to do — win seven? He wasn’t a big fan of the writers, but he also wasn’t the first coach who was ever an ass. This one took me by surprise. I would have voted for him.”

It all brings up another point: If some were petty enough not to vote for Belichick, how will they consider Brady in his first year of eligibility in 2028? Could they try to do the same thing to the Las Vegas Raiders’ minority owner and greatest to play the most important of positions because of Deflategate?

My guess is absolutely not, but neither did I believe they would keep Belichick out in his first year. Never underestimate the (insufferable) power of the vote.

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Coaches (past and present) and players (past and present) took to social media to voice their displeasure — some far more harshly than others — about Belichick’s snub. And they were all correct in their criticism. This one hit a new low.

“I don’t understand it,” Brady said during an interview with Seattle Sports. “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.”

It’s ridiculous, all right. Vote the coaching resume. The entire coaching resume. Because there isn’t any better.

Belichick is first-ballot worthy if there ever was anyone.