Skip Bayless Bizarrely Claims Bill Belichick Didn’t “Deserve” to be in Hall of Fame in the First Year
The former six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Patriots, Bill Belichick, was not inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year.
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Bill Belichick, Skip Bayless (Images via Getty Images/The Wrap)
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The National Football League made waves across the nation yesterday when they announced that Bill Belichick was not voted by the 50-member panel to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The former New England Patriots’ premier, who holds the record of most Super Bowls of any coach, reportedly fell short of 40 out of 50 votes needed for the induction.
Unsurprisingly, the panel’s failure to induct Belichick on the first ballot has puzzled Belichick and angered players and fans across platforms. Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James noted that the snub was “impossible, egregious… and disrespectful.”
Patrick Mahomes and JJ Watt tweeted, mentioning their bafflement over the decision. Amid the flurry of support for Belichick, there are a few who appreciated or agreed with the said decision. Skip Bayless falls in that category.
While Bayless agreed that Belichick deserved to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, he claimed there was reason enough for the voters to punish Belichick and stop him from being a first-ballot inductee. In a video, he identified a few reasons to support his notion, presenting the infamous “Spygate” as the primary reason.
Obviously, the main reason that Bill Belichick was punished was Spygate. The winningest NFL coach ever, the great Don Shula… publicly called Belichick, Belicheat, after Spygate, in which he was busted, turned in by his former defensive coordinator, Eric Mangini.
Does Bill Belichick eventually deserve to go in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Well, obviously he does. But am I surprised that voters punished him by making him wait one year? Not at all. pic.twitter.com/VUUpVrELaF
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 28, 2026
He also cited Deflategate and Belichick’s paltry record in the post-Tom Brady era as reasons for the voters’ decision. Additionally, Bayless made an audacious claim about the whole camaraderie. He said that the recent snub has also helped to rebrand his image. Bayless commented:
The irony is that Bill Belichick has now become a sympathetic figure. Fans and players are rallying around him, criticizing the Hall of Fame voters. Yes, Belichick deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Just not on the first ballot.
Belichick has been on the receiving end of online scrutiny since he went public with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson. His first season as the head coach of the UNC Tar Heels hasn’t been much of a help. They went 4-8 amid random headlines that have often shifted the focus from the athletes to the relationship between Belichick and the model.
There’s some historical precedent to Skip Bayless’ notion about Bill Belichick
History has not been kind to cheating and unfair practices in winning. And Spygate has been a mark on Bill Belichick’s illustrious career, one that saw the NFL impose the largest fine in history on a coach. As speculation that voters are freezing out Belichick increases, there are some precedents for it.
The cases of Cooperstown being strict on Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are one. Bonds and Clemens were involved in steroid use that was career-defining. However, it goes on to show that sometimes the baseball resume doesn’t matter.
The most identifiable precedent could be Carlos Beltran. He was seen as a facilitator in the Houston Astros sign-stealing incident, effectively denying him an induction until his fourth year. He was inducted just a few days ago.
In the NBA, Chris Webber’s entry to the Hall of Fame was delayed due to his association with the Michigan “Fab Five” booster scandal. Similarly, Tim Hardaway Sr. had a delayed entry after his reputation plummeted with the homophobic comments he had made on national television.
Nevertheless, neither of them had careers with achievements comparable to what Bill Belichick had done in his career. In addition to his titles as the Patriots’ premier, he also won twice as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.
That said, Spygate and later Deflategate have left scars on the sport’s integrity. The systemic rule-breaking while holding a position of ultimate responsibility could have been reason enough for the voters to delay Belichick’s entry to the Hall of Fame.
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