6 hours ago
Rules cause discussions
After Belichick debate: Hall of Fame considers changes to voting process
The controversial non-inclusion of Bill Belichick in the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 has consequences. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is considering adjustments to the election process and wants to vote in person again in the future. Hall of Fame President Jim Porter confirmed this after announcing this year’s class.
Porter made it clear that any potential changes are not solely due to the Belichick case. At the same time, the public debate has nevertheless sharpened the focus on weaknesses in the current procedure.
Return to in-person voting and later voting
Specifically, the Hall of Fame plans to conduct the voting of the 50-member selection committee on site again. In recent years since the Corona pandemic, voting has taken place virtually. In addition, the election date should be closer to the NFL Honors in the future, i.e. the Thursday before the Super Bowl. The Hall primarily wants to avoid information leaks.
The possible publication of vote distributions or individual ballots is also being discussed, although not retroactively for the Class of 2026.
Criticism of rule violations by individual voters
Porter also announced that he would have the behavior of individual voters checked. The background is public statements about actually confidential discussions and votes that did not follow the principle of always electing the most worthy candidate. “If we dictated who was the most worthy, we wouldn’t need voters,” the president said. “But we expect the rules to be followed.”
The trigger was, among other things, a comment by Vahe Gregorian (Kansas City Star), who openly stated that he had consciously given preference to so-called senior players in the election, as they might not get another chance – although he generally considered Belichick to be worthy of immediate inclusion. According to Porter, exactly this approach is not permitted.
The current system has also recently attracted significant criticism outside the electoral body. Tom Brady publicly described the selection process as “completely ridiculous” and criticized the fact that candidates who clearly deserved their place in the Hall of Fame were left out.
Controversial group selection as a core problem
Belichick was grouped in one category this year along with Patriots owner Robert Kraft and three senior players. Instead of an individual vote, voters had to choose three out of five candidates. Only the vote leader and candidates above the 80 percent mark were included – ultimately only Roger Craig fulfilled this requirement.
Last year, only one candidate from this group, Sterling Sharpe, was chosen, and coach Mike Holmgren came away empty-handed. This marks the third time in a row that no coach has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. A circumstance that further increased criticism of the current system.
No quick departure from the existing system
Despite the discussions, Porter remained cautious about separating coaches, officials and senior players. These groups have been elected together for decades; separate categories were only introduced around ten years ago. “The question is why it worked before and not anymore,” he said. The process will be examined and discussions will be held, but currently see no reason for fundamental reform.
For the second year in a row, fewer than five Modern Era candidates were accepted. This year, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri made it, while Willie Anderson, Terrell Suggs and Marshal Yanda narrowly failed but are automatically seeded for next year.
After twelve years with at least seven new additions, only four and five candidates were accepted in the last two years. “The number has been very high recently,” explained Porter, referring to this development.
Overall, the Hall of Fame is open to targeted adjustments, but does not want to fundamentally restructure the selection process. “We will make adjustments where necessary,” said Porter. “Our mission is to protect the integrity of the Hall of Fame and its election process.”
