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Bill Belichick’s resume screams a one-way ticket to Canton, Ohio, but when he wasn’t voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, many were stunned Tuesday night.
Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes is among them.
“Insane…don’t even understand how this could be possible,” Mahomes responded to X on ESPN’s Adam Schefter’s post about the news that Belichick fell short of the 40 of 50 votes needed for induction in his first year of eligibility.
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Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots and Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs shake hands after Kansas City’s 27-17 win at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Belichick confirmed the news Tuesday night after receiving a call from a Hall of Fame representative on Friday.
ESPN reported that Belichick asked a colleague, “Six Super Bowls aren’t enough,” talking about the championships won during his 23 years as head of the New England Patriots.
“What’s a guy to do?” he reportedly added.
BILL BELICHICK GOES FOR TIME TO BE FIRST-BALLOT HALL OF FAMER PULLS QUICK SETBACK
ESPN added that Belichick, who also won two Super Bowls during his time as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, was “puzzled” and “disappointed” that he did not secure at least 80% of the votes of the Hall’s committee members.
“Politics kept him out. He doesn’t believe this is a reflection of his performance,” a source told ESPN.
Belichick owns the second most wins by a head coach in NFL history, at 333-178, including the playoffs. He is second only to the great Don Shula, the Hall of Famer who has 347 wins.
It’s Belichick’s track record as the head of a dynasty in New England that led many to believe there was no way he would make it past a first ballot.
ESPN reported that the infamous Spygate and Deflategate scandals involving the Patriots, during Belichick’s time at the helm, came up during deliberations on whether to vote him into Canton.
Either way, Mahomes’ reaction, and reportedly Belichick’s, doesn’t stop there.
Close-up of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick on the sideline during a game against the New York Jets, East Rutherford, New Jersey, September 9, 2007. (Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“I can’t read this right,” tweeted future Hall of Famer JJ Watt. “This has to be some revealing Hall of Fame or something, it can’t be the actual NFL Hall of Fame. There’s not a single world where Bill Belichick shouldn’t be a First-Ballot Hall of Fame.”
Pat McAfee added, “Bill Belichick is officially not a first ballot Pro Football Hall Of Famer. Bill Belichick..Bill Belichick could be in [GOAT] interviews for Coach AND GM and he is not a first ballot Hall of Fame in the PRO FOOTBALL Hall of Fame.”
Belichick, the current head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, also coached the Cleveland Browns before finding success with the Patriots. He won six titles with Tom Brady at the helm before mutually parting ways with the franchise after the 2023 season.
He had a controversial ending with both the Browns and the New York Jets. The Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens under cover of darkness, essentially leaving the entire franchise in town. Set to take the Jets’ head coaching job, he pulled out at the last minute and decided to take the New England gig instead.
Then-New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Belichick’s coaching staff also appears to be very strong, especially with former player Mike Vrabel, who helped him win three titles, leading the Patriots back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the Belichick era in his first year as head coach.
Josh McDaniels, who worked closely with Belichick during those Super Bowl years, is also with Vrabel.
