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Bill Belichick learns NFL Hall of Fame fate in 1st year of eligibility (report)
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- Bill Belichick learns NFL Hall of Fame fate in 1st year of eligibility (report)
The 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class won’t be officially announced until Feb. 5, but Bill Belichick already knows his fate.
Belichick will not be among those inducted into Canton, sources told ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham .
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The 73-year-old fell short of the 40 votes needed for induction. Belichick, per ESPN, was notified of the decision on Friday.
Belichick won eight Super Bowls over the course of his 49-year coaching career in the NFL. Six of those came with the New England Patriots as he helped coach the team to two separate dynasties over the course of a historic 23-year run.
Despite the success, which includes 302 regular-season wins, “ Spygate ,” “Deflategate” and “the twin cheating scandals came up in deliberations among voters.”
“ Deflategate ” happened in 2019 when the Indianapolis Colts complained that the footballs used in the AFC Championship Game were under-inflated . This turned into an investigation that lasted over a year and then-quarterback Tom Brady getting suspended for four games for his role in the scandal.
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One voter told ESPN that former Colts general manager Bill Polian told voters Belichick should “wait a year” before he gets into the Hall of Fame “as penance for Spygate.”
“Spygate” was a 2007 scandal in which the Patriots were caught filming the New York Jets ’ signals during a regular-season game. The Patriots and Belichick were each fined, as well as docked a 2008 first-round draft pick.
Belichick will be eligible again in 2027 as he tries to become a second-ballot Hall of Famer.
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