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By Justin Grasso
Contributing Sports Writer
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Bill Belichick seemed like a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer when he walked away from the New England Patriots and the NFL.
It turns out that’s not the case. According to a report from ESPN, Belichick fell short of the 40 out of 50 votes needed to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility. His absence will certainly be viewed as a snub, and the former superstar pass rusher JJ Watt was in disbelief.
“I can’t be reading this right,” Watt wrote on the social media platform X on Tuesday night.
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“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.”
Apparently, there is.
Belichick’s past apparently played a part in the voting. As successful as Belichick and the New England Patriots were during his time as the head coach, they were accused of bending rules on multiple occasions.
Still, Belichick’s resume doesn’t change. And it’s certainly a Hall of Fame past worth rewarding.
Belichick took over for the Patriots in 2000, following his time as an assistant with the New York Jets.
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He coached the Patriots for 24 seasons. Throughout his career, the Patriots won nearly 70 percent of their games. They were 31-13 in playoff games, and won six Super Bowls. Before Belichick took over as a head coach in New England, he was a two-time Super Bowl champion as an assistant. Belichick was also a three-time NFL Coach of the Year and a member of two All-Decade Teams.
The outrage won’t change the outcome for the University of North Carolina head coach, but it’s clear that many prominent people within the NFL space, including JJ Watt, are not pleased with the voting process this year.
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