After another New England Patriots legend was served a surprising Hall of Fame snub this week, Tom Brady may have to plan for a longer-than-expected wait for enshrinement.
One of the biggest stories in football last week was the stunning news that iconic NFL coach Bill Belichick fell short of the 40 votes needed to earn induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
The revelation had fans, former players and coaches, and NFL experts flabbergasted. The current head coach at North Carolina has the most Super Bowl wins (6), most Super Bowl appearances as a head coach (9), and is second all-time in wins (302). He has more than enough qualifications to be a first-ballot selection.
In the days following Belichick’s confusing snub, reports claimed that committee voters with long-standing grudges used his links to the Spygate and Deflategate scandals to block induction on his first ballot. Well, it seems those controversies have led to another key member of the Patriots dynasty getting a Hall of Fame snub.
On Tuesday, reports emerged that New England owner Robert Kraft also fell short of the 40 votes needed from the same committee that felt Belichick was also not worthy of induction in 2026.
Belichick and Kraft being blocked from Hall of Fame induction should make legendary Patriots QB Tom Brady wonder if he could also wait longer than expected for no good reason.
Will Tom Brady not be a first ballot Hall of Famer?
To many long-time NFL fans and experts, Brady is the greatest quarterback in league history. Sure, players like Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees have a case to be called the GOAT. But none of those legends have the combination of elite statistics and championship rings like Brady.
Furthermore, the 15-time Pro Bowler proved in 2020 that he was a legend without Belichick as his head coach when he guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory during his debut season in Florida. His resume can be held up as one absolutely worthy of immediate Hall of Fame induction when he becomes eligible in two years.
Well, he should be, but the grudges held against Belichick and Kraft throw a wrench in the normal expectations. If those men, especially the coach, can be derailed during the voting process by their detractors, the same may happen to Brady in 2028. He could be linked to the same scandals that are rumored to have hurt Belichick. Especially Deflategate, which was centered on the QB and his preference for slightly deflated balls.
However, the saving grace for Brady is that the Hall of Fame committee has taken an enormous amount of heat from the football community over Belichick’s snub. And there have been calls to review the voting process. It makes it more likely the signal-caller won’t have the same issues because the committee will look to avoid the shame they have endured for their decisions the last two weeks.
