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Tom Brady was just as perplexed as the rest of the NFL world when he learned that Bill Belichick would not be entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
Belichick’s snub, despite eight total Super Bowl rings during his career, was reported by ESPN on Tuesday night. He needed to get 40 of 50 votes to earn his spot in Canton, Ohio, being on the ballot for the first time.
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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) talks with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2016. (Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports)
Brady, who won six Super Bowl titles with Belichick while both were with the New England Patriots, fought for his former head coach.
“For me, I don’t understand,” he said Wednesday during an appearance on “Brock & Salk Mornings” in Seattle. “I was with him every day. If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, no coach should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, which is completely ridiculous because people deserve it. He’s unbelievable. There’s no coach I’d rather play for. If I’m picking a coach to go win a Super Bowl, give me a season, I’ll take Bill Belichick.
“So that’s enough said. Other than that, again, when it comes to votes and popularity and all that, welcome to the world of voting. You might as well go show up at the Oscars or whatever and have a big panel tell you whether you’re good or not. That’s how it works, unfortunately.”
Brady said he’s confident Belichick will eventually make the Hall of Fame.
TRUMP RIPS PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME FOR ‘RIDICULOUS’ DECISION TO SNUB BILL BELICHICK FROM FIRST VALLOT HONOR
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and head coach Bill Belichick after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2017 AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 22, 2017. (Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports)
“He’s going into the Hall of Fame,” he continued. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t worry me. A lot of times in life, for all of us, things don’t go exactly the way you want them to on your schedule, but we’re all going to be there to celebrate when it happens. He’s going to have a huge turnout from so many players, coaches who appreciated everything he did and the commitment he made to win and the impact he had on all of our lives and it’s going to be a big celebration when that happens.”
It is not clear who excluded him from the ballot.
The class of 2026 won’t be officially revealed until next week, closer to Super Bowl LX. Belichick was among the candidates in a separate group in the modern era player category with Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, LC Greenwood and Robert Kraft.
Belichick was “puzzled” and “disappointed” by the decision and wondered what more he needed to do as a head coach to get in immediately, ESPN reported.
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick spoke to the media at Gillette Stadium about his departure. (John Tumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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“Politics has kept him away. He doesn’t think it reflects his achievements,” another source told the outlet.
