Bill Belichick's reported snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility made waves in the football world on Tuesday.
His equally legendary former quarterback, Tom Brady, remains stunned by the news.
Brady offered his thoughts on Belichick reportedly falling short of the required votes to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 during a Wednesday appearance on Seattle Sports' Brock and Salk show.
"I just think that to me, I don't understand it," Brady said. "I mean, 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 picking one coach to go out there, to win a Super Bowl, give me one season, I'm taking Bill Belichick.
"When it comes down to votes and popularity and all that, welcome to the world of voting. You may as well go try out for the Oscars or whatever and get a big panel to tell you if you're good or not. ... He's going to get into the Hall of Fame. I'm not worried about that. A lot of times in life, for all of us, things don't happen exactly how you want or on your timeline. But we'll all be there to celebrate him when it does happen. He's gonna have a huge turnout from so many players, coaches that appreciate everything that he did and the commitment that he made to winning, and the impact that he had on all of our lives. And that will be a great celebration when it happens."
Brady rose from irrelevance to prominence while playing for Belichick in New England, replacing injured franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe in the 2001 season and helping the Patriots win their first Super Bowl over the heavily favored Rams. The Belichick-Brady partnership rocketed to two more Super Bowl titles in the next three seasons, then added another three Lombardi Trophies in 2014, 2016 and 2018 as part of a two-decade run that included 10 Super Bowl appearances.
Brady won one more in the final act of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 season, while Belichick parted with the Patriots after two straight losing seasons in 2022 and 2023 before returning to coaching at the University of North Carolina in 2025.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is a contributor finalist for this year's Hall of Fame class, said in a statement to the Associated Press on Wednesday that Belichick "unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer."
"Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick's record and body of work speak for themselves," Kraft said to The AP. "As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League."
Following Tuesday's news, the venerated coach likely will have to wait one more year to receive his rightful place in Canton. Brady will be there among the legion of Patriots fans eager to celebrate the New England legend.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be unveiled on Feb. 5 during NFL Honors.
