Patriots’ Robert Kraft says Bill Belichick unequivocally deserves to be first-ballot Hall of Famer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Count New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft among those shocked that Bill Belichick reportedly will not be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

In a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday, Kraft said he believes Belichick’s accomplishments are clearly worthy of selection for the Hall on his first ballot.

“Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick’s record and body of work speak for themselves,” Kraft said in the statement.

Citing four unidentified sources, ESPN reported Tuesday that Belichick didn’t receive the necessary 40 votes from the 50-person panel of media members and other Hall of Famers. ESPN said Belichick received a call from the Hall of Fame last Friday with the news.

The Hall of Fame declined to comment before its class of 2026 is announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco on Feb. 5.

“As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of The National Football League,” Kraft said. “He is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.”

Reaction to Belichick’s reported omission from this year’s class came swiftly from around the NFL world, with many criticizing the selection committee. The list included Hall voters and Tom Brady, who was the quarterback for all six of Belichick’s Super Bowl wins in New England. In an interview Wednesday with Seattle Sports 710-AM, Brady said Belichick not getting voted in this year was “ridiculous.”

“I don’t understand it,” Brady said. “If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, which is completely ridiculous because people deserve it.”

Players must be retired for at least five years before becoming eligible for inclusion in the hall. Coaches have to be retired for only one full season.

Belichick was hired by New England in 2000 and led the franchise to six Super Bowl wins and three other appearances in the title game during an 18-year span from 2001-18. Belichick’s 333 wins in the regular season and playoffs with New England and Cleveland are the second most to Don Shula’s 347. He won AP NFL Coach of the Year three times.

But he went 29-38 in his final four seasons with the Patriots following the departure of Brady, who joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Belichick and the Patriots agreed to mutually part ways following the 2023 season.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL