At this point, it is worth noting that even if Bill Belichick isn’t the current coach of the New England Patriots, his name alone is definitely easy to associate with the success that the Pats have seen over the years under his command. Now that the NFL’s Hall of Fame has announced new bylaws last week, it seems that Belichick may now be inaugurated into the highly-decorated ensemble as early as 2026.

The biggest change in the Hall of Fame’s bylaws is the reduction of the waiting period for coaches to be eligible for enshrinement, going from five seasons spent out of the game to just one season. This means that it would be easy for Belichick, an eight-time Super Bowl champion coach to be named in the Hall of Fame in 2026, and that can be seen as a great look for many Pats fans who are expecting to see the legendary manager honored at the highest level.

Should Belichick not take a job in 2025, he is guaranteed to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The former Pats coach is also eligible to be a coach even after he is inducted into the Hall of Fame, and doing so will see him join Joe Gibbs and Paul Brown as the only people to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, then come out of retirement to again become a head coach in the NFL.

A Historic Figure in the NFL

Belichick is arguably the best coach in the history of the NFL. He is well known for turning the chances of the New England Patriots in the postseason, from being a lowly team in the league to being one of the most prominent dynasties in the league, with a legendary star and arguably the best player in the game, Tom Brady – as his centerpiece over the years.

In his tenure with the Pats, Belichick led the team to a total of nine Super Bowl appearances, including six Lombardi Trophies taken home. Belichick leads the league in the record for most Super Bowl victories, wins as a head coach, and appearances on the big stage. Additionally, Belichick has tallied the most playoff wins as a head coach at 31, and the most division titles with 17.

At this point, no team has ever been more dominant than the Patriots over the years, with the team recording a 266-121 record and winning 30 of 42 playoff games in 24 years under his lead. It wasn’t until Tom Brady left the team and Belichick’s departure later in 2024 proved to be quite the closing chapter in the Pats’ dominance.

A Deserving HOF Candidate

As one of the best head coaches in the NFL, Belichick definitely deserves a lot of praise for his impressive career in the NFL. the Nashville native has been on the coaching side since 1975, beginning his career with the Baltimore Colts as a special assistant. He would go on to serve different roles to teams such as the Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, and the New York Jets before settling as the executive for the New England Patriots.

At this point, bringing Belichick into the Hall of Fame would reignite the fan love that the Pats have over the years. While the team is just a shadow of its former glory today, maybe giving Belichick full honors in the HOF would inspire them to get back on the winning track. Who knows, maybe Belichick can come back as a coach for them once more.