Former Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick reportedly fell short of the votes needed to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, four sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. on Tuesday (January 27).

Belichick, 73, a record six-time Super Bowl champion head coach and two-time Super Bowl champion assistant coach, reportedly received less than the 40 of 50 votes needed for induction and received a call from a Hall of Fame representative Friday (January 23) notifying him of the voting that reportedly left him "puzzled" and "disappointed," according to several sources.

"Six Super Bowls isn't enough?" Belichick reportedly asked an associate, referencing his run with the New England Patriots, while discussing his Hall of Fame snub.

"Politics kept him out. He doesn't believe this is a reflection on his accomplishments," one source with knowledge of Belichick's thinking told ESPN, though the coach reportedly declined to comment.

A spokesperson for the Pro Football Hall of Fame said, "The Pro Football Hall of Fame does not comment on the voting of the Selection Committee and awaits the unveiling of the Class of 2026 at 'NFL Honors' on Feb. 5 in San Francisco," in a statement obtained by ESPN. Belichick, who is currently the head football coach at the University of North Carolina, is the third-winningest coach in NFL history and one of seven NFL head coaches to have spent more than 20 years with one franchise following George Halas (40) of the Chicago Bears, Curly Lambeau (29) of the Green Bay Packers, Tom Landry (29) of the Dallas Cowboys, Don Shula (26) of the Miami Dolphins, Steven Owen (24) of the New York Giants and Chuck Noll of the Pittsburgh Steelers, all of whom have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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