
© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Tom Brady is coming to the defense of his former coach.
On Tuesday, the NFL world was stunned when Bill Belichick fell short of the required votes to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
According to veteran NFL reporter Armando Salguero, some voters were uneasy voting for Belichick due to his role in the spygate cheating scandal.
“There was definitely signs that this was going to be somewhat of an uphill battle. There was one voter who said outright, ‘I’m not voting for him because of Spygate.'”
“There was definitely signs that this was going to be somewhat of an uphill battle. There was one voter who said outright, ‘I’m not voting for him because of Spygate.'”
– @ArmandoSalguero on Bill Belichick. pic.twitter.com/DkG53FOZJG
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) January 28, 2026
During an appearance on Brock & Salk on Seattle Sports 710, Brady spoke out about Belichick getting snubbed by the Hall of Fame committee.
“I don’t understand it,” said Brady. “I was with him every day. 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. He’s incredible. There’s no coach I’d rather play for. If I’m taking one coach to go out there to win a Super Bowl, give me one season, I’m taking Bill Belichick. So that’s enough said.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft also defended Belichick, despite the two men being at odds at the moment.
“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 told the Associated Press. “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. He is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.”
Unfortunately, Belichick will have to wait another year to get into the Hall of Fame, but it’s cool to see Brady and Kraft come to his defense.