Tom Brady on Belichick’s Hall of Fame Snub: “If He’s Not First-Ballot, Who Is?”
It didn’t take long for Tom Brady to weigh in on what’s become one of the most talked-about decisions in recent Hall of Fame memory. Less than a day after Bill Belichick was left off the list of first-ballot inductees, Brady shared his thoughts during an appearance on ESPN Seattle’s Rock and Salk morning show-and he didn’t mince words.
“I don’t understand it,” Brady said. “I was with him every day. If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, which is completely ridiculous because people deserve it.”
That’s not just loyalty talking. Brady’s perspective is shaped by two decades of shared history with Belichick-20 seasons that reshaped the NFL landscape and turned the New England Patriots into the league’s modern dynasty.
From 2000 to 2019, the Brady-Belichick partnership produced a staggering résumé: six Super Bowl titles in nine trips, 17 AFC East crowns, and a league-record 219 regular-season wins. They were also the architects of the only 16-0 regular season in NFL history. That level of sustained excellence isn’t just rare-it’s unprecedented.
“If I’m picking one coach to go out there and win a Super Bowl, give me one season, I’m taking Bill Belichick,” Brady added. And really, who could argue with that logic? The man has been the gold standard of NFL coaching for over two decades.
Of course, their run wasn’t without turbulence. As the years wore on, their relationship-once defined by mutual trust and a shared obsession with winning-grew more complicated.
By the time Brady left for Tampa Bay in 2020, the bond had clearly frayed. But even after the split, both men have spoken publicly about the respect they still hold for one another.
Brady has often credited Belichick for shaping his football IQ, instilling the discipline and detail-oriented mindset that helped turn a sixth-round pick into a seven-time Super Bowl champion. On the flip side, Belichick has consistently called Brady the greatest quarterback of all time-a fitting acknowledgment from a coach who’s seen just about everything the game has to offer.
So while the Hall of Fame committee may have hit pause on Belichick’s enshrinement, Brady made it clear that the delay won’t diminish the moment when it eventually arrives.
“He’s going to get into the Hall of Fame-in the end, I’m not worried about that,” Brady said. “A lot of times in life, for all of us, things don’t happen exactly how you want or on your timeline, but we’ll all be there to celebrate him when it does happen.”
It’s not a matter of if Belichick gets in. It’s just a matter of when. And when that day comes, you can bet Brady-and a long list of players, coaches, and fans-will be front and center to give one of the game’s greatest minds the recognition he’s more than earned.