Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer, a decision that has sparked outrage and raised an intriguing question: Could Tom Brady face a similar snub when he becomes eligible in 2028?

As first reported by ESPN, Belichick fell short of the required 40 of 50 votes for induction this summer. The former New England Patriots coach, winner of six Super Bowls as a head coach and two as a defensive coordinator, was denied by voters who appeared to weigh off-field controversies over on-field achievements.

“It’s laughable. Absurd. Embarrassing,” wrote Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The columnist argued that the snub was purely political, with some voters acting as “judge, jury and executioner” for past transgressions like Spygate and Deflategate.

Belichick was fined $500,000 and the Patriots lost a first-round pick for Spygate in 2007. Deflategate, which centered on Brady, cost the team $1 million and draft picks, though Belichick was not directly implicated. His often combative relationship with the media may have also influenced some voters.

“Sometimes, there’s no rhyme or reason for what happens with the vote,” said Nick Canepa, a past Hall of Fame voter. “Deflategate was a joke, and Spygate definitely didn’t help them win or lose a Super Bowl.”

Brady, now a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, defended his former coach. “If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Brady said on Seattle Sports. “There’s no coach I’d rather play for.”

The snub has led to speculation about Brady’s own Hall of Fame fate. Given the voters’ willingness to penalize Belichick for Deflategate, some wonder if Brady might face similar resistance. However, Graney believes the seven-time Super Bowl champion will likely sail in, though he admits the Belichick outcome was unexpected.

“Vote the coaching resume. The entire coaching resume. Because there isn’t any better,” Graney wrote. Belichick is expected to be inducted next year, but the delay has left a stain on the process.