Tom Brady is backing his former coach after a surprising snub by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"I don't understand it," Brady said Wednesday on ESPN Radio in Seattle, one day after reports that Bill Belichick was not elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
"I was with him every day. If he's not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, then there's really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Which is completely ridiculous because people deserve it."
Brady and Belichick won a record six Super Bowls over their 19 seasons together.
Belichick reportedly did not receive the required 40 votes from a panel of 50 voters to earn enshrinement in Canton. He sits third all-time in wins with 302, and along with his six Super Bowls, he also holds the record for most conference championships with nine over his 29 years in the league.
"He's going to get into the Hall of Fame in the end. I'm not worried about that," Brady said. "A lot of times in life, for all of us, things don't happen exactly how you want them on your timeline, but we'll all be there to celebrate him when it does happen."
The 2026 Hall of Fame class will be announced next week during the NFL Honors award ceremony. Brady, who retired after the 2022 season, is eligible to be inducted in 2028.
