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Bill Belichick: Outcry as eight-time Super Bowl champion reportedly snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame in first year of eligibility

The report that Bill Belichick did not get voted into the NFL Hall of Fame was met with outcry on social media with Patrick Mahomes, LeBron James, and JJ Watt among others commenting on the decision; Belichick did not receive the 40 votes required from the 50-person panel

FILE - New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he celebrates the Patriots' victory over the Seattle Seahawks in NFL Super Bowl XLIX football game Feb. 1, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Image: Bill Belichick reportedly did not receive enough votes to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame

Six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick didn't get voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, according to a report from ESPN.

Citing four unidentified sources, it was reported on Tuesday that Belichick - who also won two more Super Bowls as an assistant coach - did not receive the necessary 40 votes from the 50-person panel of media members and other Hall of Famers.

It is 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 February 5.

The report of Belichick's snub was met with significant criticism, including from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who posted on social media: "Insane … don't even understand how this could be possible."

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 2001-2018.

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.

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Belichick also was one of the game's top defensive assistants before taking over in New England, winning two earlier Super Bowls as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.

Belichick's career did have blemishes. He was implicated in a sign-stealing scandal dubbed "Spygate" in the 2007 season and was fined $500,000 after the team was caught filming defensive signals from the New York Jets during a game.

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