Tom Brady, the quarterback who partnered with Bill Belichick to build one of the NFL’s greatest dynasties, has become the latest voice to criticize the coach’s reported snub by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
A day after ESPN reported that Belichick was not elected in his first year of eligibility, Brady dismissed the decision as “ridiculous,” saying it defied logic and the league’s own standards.
“I don’t understand it,” Brady said Wednesday in an interview with Seattle Sports 710-AM. “I was with him every day. If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, then no coach should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. That’s completely ridiculous, because people deserve it.”
Brady and Belichick combined to deliver six Super Bowl championships to New England, forming a partnership that defined an era of NFL dominance. Belichick also won two Super Bowl titles as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.
First-ballot induction, the earliest possible entry into the Hall of Fame, is traditionally reserved for the NFL’s elite, a distinction recognizing those whose impact places them among the game’s all-time greats.
ESPN reported that Belichick failed to secure the required 40 of 50 votes needed for first-ballot induction.
“He’s incredible. There’s no coach I’d rather play for,” Brady said. “If I’m picking one coach to go out there to win a Super Bowl, give me one season, I’m taking Bill Belichick. That’s enough said.”
Belichick, 73, is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, though his career was also marked by controversy, most notably the 2007 “Spygate” scandal. He was fined a record $500,000 after the Patriots were caught illegally videotaping opposing coaches’ signals during games.
The Patriots were also implicated in the 2015 “Deflategate” scandal, which led to Brady’s suspension for his role in the deflation of footballs used in the AFC Championship Game.
ESPN reported that both scandals were discussed during deliberations among Hall of Fame voters at a meeting Jan. 13.
“It really bothered some of the guys,” one Hall of Fame voter told the network.
Brady said he was confident Belichick would eventually be enshrined.
“When it does happen, he’s going to have a huge turnout from so many players and coaches who appreciated everything that he did, the commitment to winning and the impact he had on all our lives,” Brady said.
ESPN, citing friends of Belichick, who left the Patriots in 2024, reported the coach was “puzzled” and “disappointed” by the decision.
“Insane ... don’t even understand how this could be possible,” Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wrote on X.
Former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Torrey Smith called for selectors who voted against Belichick to be barred from future voting.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame released a statement late Wednesday addressing possible punishment for selectors who violated bylaws but did not mention Belichick by name.
The Hall said it “understands and respects the passionate reaction of many fans, media members and enshrinees” following published reports regarding the Class of 2026 voting results.
The statement added that if any member of the 50-person selection committee violated selection-process bylaws, disciplinary action could follow, including removal from the committee.
“The selection of a new class is the most important duty the Hall of Fame oversees each year,” the statement said. “The integrity of that process cannot be in question.”
