Jan. 28, 2026, 4:50 p.m. CT<\/p>\n
Even J.J. Watt<\/a> knows that Bill Belichick is a first-ballot Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n The Houston Texans’<\/a> great and three-time Defensive Player of the Year<\/a> couldn’t hold back his frustrations on social media Tuesday after the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach of the New England Patriots was left off the ballot for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has to be some knock-off Hall of Fame or something, it can\u2019t be the actual NFL Hall of Fame,\u201d Watt posted to his X account on Tuesday evening. \u201cThere is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Belichick, who spent over two decades at the helm in New England and ranks second all-time in wins behind first-ballot honoree Don Shula, received 40 out of 50 votes needed for induction in his first year of eligibility, according to ESPN. While the voting committee is mostly made up of longtime NFL reporters and journalists, it also includes names like former Indianapolis Colts<\/a> general manager Bill Polian.<\/p>\n Polian made comments on Belichick’s snub earlier Tuesday afternoon, which drew immediate pushback from the public. It’s warrented since Belichick, who also won two Super Bowls as an assistant, has as many titles as Shula, Tom Landry and Chuck Noll combined, which are the only three first-ballott Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n