The Pro Football Hall of Fame issued a thinly veiled threat to voters after what many have called an embarrassing situation that unfolded this week.
According to a report by ESPN, Bill Belichick — an eight-time Super Bowl champion and the third-winningest head coach in NFL — was passed over for election to the Hall by the selection committee.
The news sparked outrage, leading to the institution issuing a statement on Wednesday saying that it would remove any voter who violated the organization’s bylaws.
“The Pro Football Hall of Fame understands and respects the passionate reaction of many fans, media members and enshrines of the Hall itself in light of published reports regarding the voting results for the Class of 2026,” the statement said.
“It’s that very passion that propels the game. The Hall also respects the members of the Selection Committee when they follow the selection process bylaws. It is an honour to serve as a selector.
“Each year, the Hall reviews the selection process and the composition of the 50-person Selection Committee. If it is determined that any member(s) violated the selection process bylaws, they understand action will be taken. That could include the possibility that such selector(s) would not remain a member of the committee moving forward.
“The selection of a new class is the most important duty the Hall of Fame oversees each year, and the integrity of that process cannot be in question.”
The statement did not mention which bylaws may have been broken or comment on the reports regarding Belichick’s reported snub.
Report causes outrage
News that the NFL coaching icon did not earn first-ballot enshrinement was initially reported by ESPN on Tuesday while the actual results of the vote were not supposed to be revealed until the NFL Honors awards show on Feb. 5.
The report caused a major outcry in the sporting world, leading to many past and present stars of the game, media and fans to share their disbelief that a man who won the most Super Bowls as head coach in NFL history was not worthy of the honour.
In the report, ESPN stated that Belichick – who currently is the coach at the University of North Carolina – fell short of the 80% mark needed to earn his plaque in Canton. That means that at least 11 of the 50 voters passed over the former New England Patriots boss.
The voting committee is primarily made up of veteran NFL reporters and also includes Hall of Famers Tony Dungy and Bill Polian.
One voter shares his reason
Kansas City Star columnist Vahe Gregorian revealed on Wednesday that he was one of selection committee who did not vote for Belichick, explaining his choice had nothing to do with Spygate or Deflategate, two cheating scandals during Belichick’s time with the Patriots.
Gregorian wrote that he chose to pick Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood, feeling that Belichick’s election should’ve been “inevitable.”
“If the curious selection dynamics now in place allowed for a simple up-down vote on Belichick, as a selector I absolutely would have voted for him this year,” Gregorian wrote. “I believe he’d have assumed his much-deserved place in Canton in his first year of eligibility in 2026.”
Who else didn’t vote for Belichick?
The identities of the other voters who did not choose Belichick will remain secret unless they choose to come forward.
One anonymous voter told ESPN that Bill Polian — a former general manager of the Colts and supporter of Patriots owner Robert Kraft (a bitter antagonist of Belichick since 2024) — threw a wrench into the works for Belichick by suggesting that he should wait another year as penance for the cheating scandals.
“The only explanation was the cheating stuff,” a veteran Hall voter told ESPN on Tuesday. “It really bothered some of the guys.”
How did Belichick respond?
Sources who spoke with Belichick, 73, described him as “puzzled” and “disappointed” by the lack of support.
“Six Super Bowls isn’t enough,” Belichick was quoted as saying by a source. Another claimed he said, “What does a guy have to do?”
NFL stars react
The Hall of Fame decision not to include Belichick stunned and angered some of the NFL’s biggest names, with Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes saying on X: “Insane, don’t even understand how this could be possible.
Former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals defensive end JJ Watt said, “I can’t be reading this right. This has to be some knock-off Hall of Fame or something, it can’t be the actual NFL Hall of Fame. There is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer.”
Former New England Patriot Damien Harris echoed the sentiment on CBS sports: “If there is a Hall of Fame, if there is a way for coaches to get in it, there’s no way, there’s no world, where Bill Belichick is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
–With files from Brian Towie