HOF issues statement about removing voters over rule violations
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that it could remove selection committee members if any wrongdoing is discovered.
"Each year, the Hall reviews the selection process and the composition of the 50-person Selection Committee. If it is determined that any member(s) violated the selection process bylaws, they understand action will be taken," the Hall of Fame said in a statement.
"That could include the possibility that such selector(s) would not remain a member of the committee moving forward. The selection of a new class is the most important duty the Hall of Fame oversees each year, and the integrity of that process cannot be in question."
The Hall of Fame released the statement a day after reports surfaced that former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick wouldn't be inducted in his first year of eligibility.
Belichick reportedly didn't receive 40 of the 50 votes required for induction in 2026. The decision sparked widespread backlash, including from his former quarterback, Tom Brady.
"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," Brady said.
Belichick, 73, was among 20 finalists under consideration for the 2026 class. His six Lombardi Trophies and 31 postseason victories are the most of any head coach in league history, and he ranks third all-time in regular-season wins behind just Don Shula and George Halas.
However, Belichick's involvement in multiple scandals, including Spygate and Deflategate, apparently came up during the voting process. Bill Polian, former Indianapolis Colts general manager and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, reportedly lobbied voters to make Belichick "wait a year" for his involvement in Spygate. Polian told ESPN that he was 95% sure he had voted for Belichick.
Belichick will enter his second season as North Carolina's head coach in 2026. He hasn't coached in the NFL since parting with the Patriots after the 2023 season.