NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has no doubt that Bill Belichick will eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But after the longtime New England Patriots head coach reportedly missed out on making it this year in his first year of eligibility, something that ended up being incredibly controversial in football circles, Goodell made it clear that neither he nor the league have anything to do with the process.
“We are not involved in it,” Goodell said on Monday ahead of Super Bowl LX, via ESPN. “Bill Belichick’s record goes without saying, same with the Patriots and Robert Kraft, who is also a candidate. They are spectacular. They have contributed so much to this game, and I believe they will be Hall of Famers.”
News broke last week that Belichick, who won six Super Bowl rings during his time leading the Patriots, had not earned enough votes to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That led to an outcry in the NFL world, and plenty of speculation as to why.
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One of the theories was Belichick’s role in the “Spygate” scandal in 2007. At least 11 of the 50 voters opted not to vote in Belichick, and one of the members in that room reportedly claimed there were voters who voiced their concerns about Spygate before voting. Others, though, have said there were few of them that Belichick not making it in was still a shock.
ESPN initially reported that Bill Polian even made the case in the room that Belichick should have to wait a year for the cheating scandals that happened under his watch, which led to a wild back-and-forth saga that finally landed on Polian confirming he voted for Belichick.
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Like Goodell mentioned, Belichick is almost certainly going to end up in the Hall of Fame eventually. He went 302-165 and won the Super Bowl six times during his 29 seasons as a head coach in the NFL, and helped build a true dynasty with Tom Brady in New England. Though there were certainly rough moments, and his split with the organization was tumultuous, Belichick is undoubtedly one of the top coaches in NFL history.
When he does end up in Canton, however, is still anybody’s guess. But, at least in Goodell’s eyes, he belongs.
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