Tom Brady on Bill Belichick’s HOF snub: ‘I don’t understand it’

Some news came out Tuesday that shocked many in the football world when ESPN reported that eight-time Super Bowl-winning-coach Bill Belichick would not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

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ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham reported Belichick fell short of securing the 40 out of 50 votes needed to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2026.

The news drew ire from many, but there was no immediate statement from the player who was key to Belichick’s success: three-time MVP and future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady.

Seattle Sports got the first word on Belichick from Brady when the legendary QB joined Brock and Salk for a conversation Wednesday.

“I don’t understand it. I mean, I was with him everyday. 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,” Brady said.

“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. So that’s enough said.”

“I don't understand it …. 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.”@TomBrady on Bill Belichick’s HOF snub w/ @BrockHuard & @TheMikeSalk on Seattle Sports. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/h2ZSpHhXmq

— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) January 28, 2026

Belichick’s involvement in the Spygate and Deflategate scandals came up in the deliberation among votes, per ESPN’s reporting. The report also said former Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian, who is a Hall of Fame voter, told voters Belichick should have to wait a year because of the scandals. However, Polian has since denied that claim.

In the end, Brady isn’t too worried about Belichick eventually getting in.

“When it comes down to votes and popularity and all that, then welcome to the world of voting and you might as well try out for the Oscars and get a big panel to tell you if you’re good or not. It’s the way that it works unfortunately. He’s gonna get into the Hall of Fame. In the end, I’m not worried about that,” Brady said.

“A lot of times in life for all of us, things don’t happen exactly how you want them or on your timeline, but we’ll all be there to celebrate him when it does happen, and he’s gonna have a huge turnout from so many players, coaches that appreciated everything he did, the commitment he made to winning and the impact that he had on all our lives.”

Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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