Winning 8 Super Bowl trophies is apparently not good enough to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for Bill Belichick. The decision sparked a massive backlash from former coaches and players, including the legendary Dallas Cowboys coach, Jimmy Johnson, who himself has two Super Bowls to his name.

“What a shame,” wrote Jimmy Johnson on Instagram. “Jealous ignorant voters (a few that hide behind secret ballot) did not vote one of the greatest coaches of all time into the HOF.”

Belichick, who won six Super Bowl crowns as a head coach and two as the defensive coordinator, is set to miss out on the first-ballot Hall of Fame induction after failing to secure the required votes. Johnson wrote the caption while uploading a picture with Belichick. The three-time Super Bowl champion and the legendary Cowboys quarterback, Troy Aikman, publicly acknowledged Johnson’s words by liking the social media post.

Though Aikman never played under Belichick, the respect clearly runs deeper than shared sidelines. In fact, Aikman spent some time battling Belichick from the opposite side of the NFC East war, when Belichick was orchestrating the Giants’ defense, and Aikman was with the Cowboys. This fact made it all the more interesting when Aikman endorsed Jimmy Johnson’s post, calling out Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub.

Besides six Super Bowls as the head coach, Belichick has the second most victories (333) in NFL history, right behind Don Shula (347). Many believed nobody was more deserving than the 73-year-old legendary coach on the first ballot. He needed 80% votes to qualify, but he failed to secure 40 out of 50 votes.

Belichick’s two infamous controversies in 2007 and 2015 reportedly swayed the voters, resulting in the Hall of Fame snub. The Patriots, coached by Belichick, were involved in the Spygate scandal in 2007 and the Deflategate controversy in 2015.

The Patriots’ dynasty was not just built on trophies, but also shadowed by controversy. In 2007, Spygate exploded when New England was caught illegally videotaping opponents’ signals, costing the franchise a first-round draft pick and millions in fines. Eight years later, Deflategate reopened old wounds when the Patriots were accused of using underinflated footballs in the AFC Championship Game, leading to a $1 million fine, draft-pick losses, and Tom Brady’s four-game suspension.

Albeit with a few blemishes, his legacy, accomplishments, and numbers leave little room for debate. His stats alone make a case for being one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.

Bill Belichick’s reaction after the HOF snub

The news struck a nerve with the former legendary Patriots coach as well. According to ESPN reports, Belichick raised serious questions about the decision.

“Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?” asked Belichick after the news broke out. “What does a guy have to do?”

Amid the backlash, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has yet to address the issue. The final inductees of the Hall of Fame class of 2026 will be officially revealed in February 2026 in San Francisco, and they will be enshrined in August 2026, a month before the official beginning of the next NFL season.

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After missing out this year, Belichick will be eligible for next year’s Hall of Fame induction, but fifteen noteworthy names remain in contention for the induction. The competition is cutthroat with several legendary names, including quarterbacks Eli Manning and Drew Brees, running back Frank Gore, wide receiver Torry Holt, and tight end Jason Witten, who are also finalists.