The NFL world was completely stunned on Tuesday when news broke that Bill Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion and arguably the greatest head coach in the history of the sport, would not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Belichick had seemed like an easy first-ballot induction, but that will now not be the case.
Since the news dropped, fans and analysts around the NFL have been sharing their shocked reactions to one of the league’s legendary figures not being inducted at the first opportunity. Among them is future Hall of Fame defensive end JJ Watt, who has transitioned into one of the top color commentators in the league. He expressed his disbelief on social media.
“I can’t be reading this right,” Watt posted on X, formerly Twitter. “This has to be some knock-off Hall of Fame or something, it can’t be the actual NFL Hall of Fame. There is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer.”
Looking at Belichick’s accomplishments, it’s hard to argue against his induction as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The legendary New England Patriots head coach is considered one of the Mount Rushmore figures in NFL history. He ranks third all-time in career wins among all head coaches in the regular season, while also being one of the best postseason coaches ever.
His 31 playoff wins and six Super Bowl championships both stand as NFL records. Such achievements make it difficult to understand why Belichick would not be honored with a first-ballot induction, even considering his less successful stint in the college ranks at North Carolina. That chapter does not diminish his immense success and lasting reputation at the NFL level as one of the greatest winners in the sport’s history.
Belichick made his name as a defensive mastermind while serving as an assistant coach during the 1980s and 1990s before eventually becoming the head coach in New England. From there, he and quarterback Tom Brady built one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history over the next two decades.
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