Earlier in January, the NFL snubbed Bill Belichick from becoming a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. It came as a shock to the NFL world, and many questioned the credibility of the voting procedure. Patriots legend Tom Brady called the snub “completely ridiculous,” showcasing his clear frustration over the decision.

After months, former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is coming out with a new perspective. During his recent appearance on The St. Brown Podcast, Amon-Ra St. Brown asked him about his views on the Hall of Fame after the snub. Edelman did not waste any time answering that it is a “joke.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of a joke, no?” said Julian Edelman on The St. Brown Podcast. “It’s been funny. I don’t know what you got to do to be a first ballot. So, it is what it is. There’s a bunch of haters out there, the Patri-haters, clearly real, holy smoly. It’s real.”

Edelman did not mince his words. Belichick required 40 out of 50 votes to earn the title. But he could not secure the number, and will have to try again in 2027; additionally, losing the chance to become a first-ballot HOF. The former wide receiver believes that there are haters out there who made it happen.

He called them Patri-haters, as the three-time Super Bowl winner took a dig at the voting committee. Edelman has also played under Belichick for 12 years and knows his achievements are far above those of any other player or coach.

“Because this guy won six Super Bowls as a head coach, two as a coordinator, developed the nickel defense, has the perfect freaking regular season, has some of the craziest accolades of all time, and he doesn’t make it,” said Julian Edelman. “So, it’s just tells me that it’s true that there are real haters out there, who hate on people. It does make you look a little different at the Hall of Fame.”

According to Edelman, Belichick has won everything in the NFL. He has the most Super Bowl wins ever. He won two as a coordinator and six as a head coach, totalling eight Super Bowls. Other than that, he has won 17 divisional championships and 333 wins as an HC. With such achievements, a no-first-ballot HOF feels wrong.

Although Bill Belichick’s Pro Football Hall of Fame snub feels wrong, many believe the Spygate and Deflategate scandals were the reason for it.

Spygate and Deflategate scandals likely cost Bill Belichick a first-ballot Hall of Fame title

Bill Belichick was the New England Patriots‘ head coach for 24 years. During that time, he turned the franchise from zero Super Bowls to six Super Bowl wins. Despite this being a glorious time for the Patriots Nation, a few scandals questioned the franchise’s credibility.

The first one was the “Spygate” scandal, which caused a major backlash throughout the league. In 2007, authorities discovered the Patriots had illegally videotaped the New York Jets’ defensive signals from an unauthorized sideline location. Patriots’ video assistant Matt Estrella was caught by the Jets security filming signals during a game, violating league rules established earlier that year. As a result, the former head coach and the organization were fined $500,000 and$250,000, respectively, and the franchise lost its first-round pick in the 2008 draft.

Other than that, there was also the “Deflategate” incident in 2015. The Patriots were accused of using underinflated footballs in the AFC Championship game against the Colts. The league even launched an investigation, which ultimately concluded that Tom Brady was reportedly aware of the tampering.

The football weighs around 12.5–13.5 pounds per square inch (PSI). However, underinflated balls are easier to catch in wet and cold weather. Brady was fined $1 million in addition to a four-game suspension and a loss of two picks in the 2016 draft.

These incidents became black marks on Belichick’s glorious career. But losing the first ballot does not mean he won’t be a Hall of Fame player anymore. He can try again next year, but if the Patri-haters are real, will Belichick suffer another snub in the upcoming Pro Football Hall of Fame vote?