New York Giants legend Eli Manning has strong doubts about Bill Belichick’s surprising absence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.
In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints , the two-time Super Bowl champion – best known for Manning’s wins over Belichick’s New England Patriots in Super Bowls 42 and 46 – called the snub “pretty shocking.”
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“It’s pretty shocking that Bill Belichick is not in the Hall of Fame,” Manning said. “You have one of – if not the greatest coach of all time – what he’s built in New England and the number of Super Bowls and AFC championships they’ve been to, not to mention the number they’ve won, it’s incredible. I can’t imagine a coach more deserving of being in the Hall of Fame.”
Belichick, 73, enters his first year of eligibility after a storied career that includes a record six Super Bowl championships as a head coach, nine Super Bowl appearances (the most in history) and 333 career wins (second only to Don Shula’s 347). His Patriots dynasty, represented by Tom Brady, is widely regarded as one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history.
Despite that resume, Belichick failed to get the required 80 percent approval (at least 40 votes from the 50-member selection committee) in the Hall’s revamped process, which brought together coaches, contributors and seniors, limited onboarding and sparked widespread controversy.
The decision sparked discussion about potential changes to the voting system, including a return to in-person deliberations and stricter confidentiality rules.
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Reactions from figures like Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Brady, and now Manning, highlight the backlash that many expect Belichick to eventually bring on board in the coming years.
This article originally appeared on Giants Online: Giants legend Eli Manning: Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub ‘shocking’