Bill Belichick is one of the most decorated head coaches in NFL history-six Super Bowl rings, eight total appearances, 333 wins-but on Tuesday, he didn’t get the call to Canton. Not yet, anyway. The Hall of Fame voters passed on giving Belichick first-ballot status, a move that surprised many around the league but didn’t shock everyone.
One of the few who saw this coming? Longtime sports commentator Skip Bayless, who’s been one of Belichick’s most persistent critics for over a decade. After the news broke, Bayless posted a video breaking down why he believes Belichick's résumé, for all its accolades, still has enough red flags to warrant a delay.
Let’s be clear: Bayless isn’t arguing that Belichick doesn’t belong in the Hall. He flat-out said, “Obviously he does.”
But in his view, this wasn’t a rejection-it was a punishment. A one-year timeout, if you will, from a voting body that remembered more than just the championships.
At the heart of Bayless’ case is the cloud of controversy that hung over New England during Belichick’s run. The most infamous?
Spygate. That 2007 scandal, when former Patriots assistant Eric Mangini exposed the team for illegally videotaping opposing coaches’ signals, left a permanent mark.
Don Shula, the NFL’s all-time winningest coach, famously dubbed him “Belicheat” after the incident. And then there was Deflategate, the underinflated football saga that led to a four-game suspension for Tom Brady-but one Bayless argues Belichick had full knowledge of.
Whether or not that’s true, perception matters, and the perception of those scandals has lingered.
But it wasn’t just the off-field issues that voters seemed to remember. Bayless zeroed in on Belichick’s record without Brady-and that’s where the numbers get tough to ignore.
Before Brady took over in 2001, Belichick’s first season in New England ended at 5-11. Once Brady left for Tampa Bay and promptly won another Super Bowl, Belichick’s Patriots went 29-38 over four seasons.
Add in his Cleveland years, and his career record without Brady as a starter is 65-82. That’s a .442 winning percentage.
Bayless highlighted that stat with emphasis: “That means he lost 27 more games than he won without Tom Brady as a head coach.” And the postseason?
Without Brady, Belichick’s teams made the playoffs just twice in ten seasons-and one of those appearances ended with Josh Allen and the Bills dropping 47 points without punting a single time. That was supposed to be Belichick’s specialty-defense-and it got torched.
Then there’s the more recent chapter. This offseason, eight NFL teams had head coaching vacancies.
Not one hired Belichick. Instead, he took a job at the college level in North Carolina-and his first season ended at 4-8.
For a coach with his résumé, that’s not the kind of second act you expect.
Bayless also mentioned Belichick’s long-standing reputation with the media, which may have played a quiet role in the Hall snub. For years, Belichick treated press conferences like root canals, offering grunts, shrugs, and the occasional “we’re on to Cincinnati.”
Those same reporters? Many of them now hold Hall of Fame votes.
So here we are. Bill Belichick will almost certainly get into the Hall of Fame-just not this year.
And while the delay might seem minor in the grand scheme, it’s a reminder that legacy in the NFL isn’t just about wins and losses. It’s about how you won, who you won with, and what people remember when the dust settles.
For now, Belichick’s waiting. And the debate over his place in history? That’s just getting started.