The NFL woke up to a jolt on Tuesday. Bill Belichick, the gold standard of coaching, did not get the votes for the 2026 Hall of Fame class. Soon after, word spread that Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian played a key role in pushing the idea that Belichick should wait a year. The reason floated was his past scandals. As the noise grew across the league, the Pro Football Hall of Fame stepped in with a firm response.

“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 that action will be taken,” the statement wrote.

“That could include the possibility that such selector(s) would not remain a member of the committee moving forward.”

Moreover, the Hall doubled down on what truly matters.

It added, “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 main context is that if the Hall believes a voter acted on anything outside football, consequences follow. Decisions tied to media grudges or personal feelings cross the line. However, in Belichick’s case, the Hall views the Spygate discussion as football-related.

Therefore, it does not qualify as a violation under their rules.

Still, the history is impossible to ignore. Spygate and Deflategate hovered over the New England Patriots’ six-title run like a shadow. According to ESPN, voters revisited those moments during Belichick’s evaluation. Polian, once the architect of the Indianapolis Colts and a fierce rival to the Pats, reportedly pushed for a one-year delay as accountability.

In the end, that push carried weight, as Belichick will wait until 2027. Social media exploded, with many firing shots at Polian from every corner of the league. However, Polian has denied the reports tied to his role.

Bill Polian denies influencing Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame voting

Just hours after claims surfaced that he undercut Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame chances, Bill Polian denied having any role in the 2026 snub. Even more, he pushed back hard by saying he actually supported Belichick’s case.

“I voted for coach Belichick in the Hall of Fame selection meeting,” Polian said as part of a statement he read on Sirius XM Radio. “The Pro Football Hall of Fame has confirmed that fact through the auditors of the selection process.”

After that, Polian doubled down, insisting the most damaging claim never came out of his mouth in the first place.

“Again, I’ll state that I never said that I believe that coach Belichick should ‘wait a year’ for enshrinement. This has been confirmed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, numerous selectors who were in the room, and my vote for coach Belichick.”

However, later in an interview with the Worldwide Leader, Polian admitted he could not remember his vote with full certainty, saying he was about 95 percent sure.

Meanwhile, no one knows who actually left Belichick off their ballot. As a result, the backlash toward Hall voters has grown louder by the day, especially online.

So where does that leave things? We still do not know if Polian suggested a delay. What feels obvious, though, is that Spygate and Deflategate continue to hang over Belichick’s legacy. Until that changes, the road to Canton will keep feeling longer than it should.