Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub has officially entered the late-night comedy arena - and let’s just say, Jimmy Kimmel didn’t hold back.
On Wednesday night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the veteran host weighed in on the brewing controversy surrounding Belichick’s first-year omission from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And in a rare twist, Kimmel found himself agreeing - at least partially - with Donald Trump, who had taken to Truth Social to blast the Hall of Fame voters for leaving Belichick out.
“Bill Belichick is a bit of a jerk and a bit of a cheater,” Kimmel said, “but he absolutely should have been voted into the Hall of Fame.” Then came the viral punchline: “The guy has been winning Super Bowls longer than his girlfriend has been alive.”
That joke, of course, nods to Belichick’s relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson - a topic that’s drawn increased public attention since a CBS Sunday Morning segment last year. During that interview, Hudson briefly interrupted a line of questioning from Tony Dokoupil about her connection to the legendary coach and her involvement in his professional world. It was later clarified that Hudson’s role was strictly personal, offering support with logistics and public relations, not football operations.
Belichick, now 73, needed 40 votes from the Hall’s 50-member selection committee to get in. According to ESPN, he didn’t make the cut - and the reasons appear to go beyond the win-loss column.
Voters reportedly debated the weight of his involvement in two of the NFL’s most infamous scandals: Spygate and Deflategate. And while those incidents have long since faded from the headlines, they clearly still cast a shadow over his legacy in some corners of the football world.
The Hall of Fame responded this week with a statement defending its process, while acknowledging the public backlash that’s followed Belichick’s omission. It’s not often that a coach with six Super Bowl rings and 333 career wins - second only to Don Shula - gets passed over. But then again, Belichick’s career has never followed a conventional script.
Now the head coach at the University of North Carolina, Belichick remains one of the most accomplished minds the game has ever seen. Whether you love him, loathe him, or land somewhere in between, there’s no denying the résumé: six titles with the Patriots, a defensive mind that helped define an era, and a win total that puts him in rarefied air.
The Hall of Fame door may not have opened this time, but the conversation around Belichick’s legacy is far from over. And if history is any guide, the next chapter could be just as compelling as the last.