Amid uproar over Bill Belichick’s failed bid for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, the Canton, Ohio institution has released a cryptic statement warning of potential expulsion for rules violations by selection committee members.
‘The Pro Football Hall of Fame understands and respects the passionate reaction of many fans, media members and enshrinees of the Hall itself in light of published reports regarding the voting results for the Class of 2026,’ began the statement, which curiously did not mention Belichick ,or anyone else, by name. ‘It’s that very passion that propels the game.
‘The Hall also respects the members of the Selection Committee when they follow the selection process bylaws. It is an honor to serve as a selector.
‘Each year, the Hall reviews the selection process and the composition of the 50-person Selection Committee. If it is determined that any member(s) violated the selection process bylaws, they understand action will be taken.
‘That could include the possibility that such selector(s) would not remain a member of the committee moving forward.’
It’s unclear what violations may have taken place, if any, but there have been several reported leaks from the 50-person selection committee.
Belichick, who is second in NFL coaching wins behind only Don Shula, has declined comment
The Hall of Fame in Canton has its own 50-person selection committee that picks inductees
One leak reported by ESPN claims Hall of Famer and Super Bowl winning-executive Bill Polian pushed the committee to delay Belichick’s induction into Canton as punishment for the New England Patriots’ various scandals.
However, Polian has rejected that claim.
‘That’s totally and categorically untrue,’ Polian told Sports Illustrated. ‘I voted for him.’
With ESPN, Polian put his confidence at ’95 percent’ that he personally voted for Belichick.
‘I was shocked to learn Bill didn’t get in,’ he told ESPN. ‘He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.’
On Tuesday, ESPN broke the story about Belichick’s failure to get the requisite 40 votes needed for induction into the Hall of Fame. The vote tally will not be revealed until February 5 and even then, committee members’ specific selections will remain sealed.
The ESPN report includes claims from multiple sources that the Patriots’ 2007 Spygate and 2014-15 Spygate scandals were discussed during deliberations among the 50-person selection committee. One anonymous voter told ESPN that Polian urged fellow voters to make Belichick ‘wait a year’ as a former of punishment for Spygate.
Bill Belichick won six Super Bowls as head coach of the Patriots, including this one in 2004
Speaking to ESPN, Polian said he was ’95 percent’ sure he voted for Belichick to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, adding that he did vote for Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Polian went on to say he heard others ‘float that idea’ to delay Belichick’s enshrinement for a year, but he didn’t voice an opinion on that idea.
Spygate entered the American vernacular in 2007 when the Patriots were found to have secretly recorded opponents’ hand signals in violation of league rules. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ultimately fined the team $500,000 and docked them a first-round draft pick, while penalizing Belichick an additional $250,000.
The Deflategate scandal erupted in early 2015 as quarterback Tom Brady was accused of improperly reducing the air pressure in footballs during the 2014 AFC Championship to improve his grip. Brady was ultimately suspended four games in 2016, while the team was fined $1 million and docked a first- and fourth-round draft pick.
That Patriots beat the Colts in that AFC Championship, but by that point, Polian had retired from the NFL.
Hall of Famer Bill Polian is best known for years in the Bills and Colts’ front offices
Despite Polian’s denials, many around the league were quick to blame the former Bills and Colts executive for Belichick’s Hall-of-Fame denial.
‘Bill Polian is a joke!!’ legendary receiver Terrell Owens wrote on X.
‘Bill Polian deserves heat,’ sports podcaster Jason Whitlock wrote on X. ‘But I understand his motive. Jealousy. Revenge. The people who listened to Polian, were swayed by Polian deserve the most heat. They’re the real villains. Polian is just a jealous old man. The voters are cowards and retards.’
Belichick does have his critics in the press box, which is significant because the 50-person Selection Committee is mostly made of media members. The group is comprised of reporters from each NFL city, including two for New York and Los Angeles, a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and 17 at-large representatives.
Those at-large members include the likes of Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy and Polian, one of Belichick’s biggest rivals.
Polian was the general manager of the Buffalo Bills team that dropped Super Bowl XXV to the New York Giants, head coach Bill Parcells and Belichick, who was the team’s defensive coordinator at the time.
Then in 2000s, Polian’s Colts dropped several big playoff matchups with Belichick’s Patriots, although Indianapolis did beat New England in 2007 en route to a Super Bowl XLI victory.
Belichick, who is second in NFL coaching wins behind only Don Shula, has declined comment.
Now the head coach at North Carolina, Belichick seemingly benefitted from a recent rule change that cut Canton’s minimum five-year waiting period for eligibility down to just one for coaches. Unfortunately for the 73-year-old Tar Heels coach, that change didn’t prove helpful in 2026.
Belichick was reportedly ‘puzzled’ and ‘disappointed’ after failing to secure the requisite 80-percent of the vote from HOF committee members.
‘Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?’ one source close to Belichick told ESPN. ‘What does a guy have to do?’
There is good news, though. He can still be on the ballot for up to 20 years, so Belichick has a very good chance at enshrinement at some point in the future.
