Hall of Fame Voter Explains Omission of Bill Belichick

Vahe Gregorian chose to vote for senior candidates over the Patriots coach

Jan. 28, 2026 at 8:39pm

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At least 11 members of the 50-person panel of Hall of Fame voters did not include Bill Belichick on their ballots, which required selecting three of five finalists who were not modern-era players. Vahe Gregorian, the Kansas City representative to the panel, has explained that he omitted Belichick because the process forced him to choose between Belichick and other deserving candidates like Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, and L.C. Greenwood. Gregorian felt it was important to vote for the senior candidates who had been "snubbed for decades" and may not get another chance, even though he believes Belichick is "inevitable" for the Hall of Fame.

Why it matters

The Hall of Fame's new voting process, which requires voters to choose between finalists rather than simply voting yes or no on each one, has come under scrutiny. Gregorian's explanation highlights how the new system can lead voters to make difficult choices between highly qualified candidates, potentially excluding some deserving inductees in the process.

The details

Gregorian has posted an article explaining his reasoning for not including Belichick on his ballot. He said that if the process had been a simple up-or-down vote, he would have voted for the six-time Super Bowl winning coach. However, the current process required him to choose three finalists from a list that included Belichick, Robert Kraft, Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, and L.C. Greenwood. Gregorian opted to vote for Anderson, Craig, and Greenwood, the three senior candidates, because he felt they had been "long deserving of induction" and "most likely won't ever have a hearing again."

  • The Hall of Fame voting process took place in January 2026.

The players

Vahe Gregorian

The Kansas City representative on the 50-person Hall of Fame voting panel.

Bill Belichick

The six-time Super Bowl winning head coach of the New England Patriots, who was a finalist for the Hall of Fame.

Ken Anderson

A former quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals who was the 1981 NFL MVP and led the league in passer rating four times.

Roger Craig

A former running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers and was a three-time Super Bowl champion.

L.C. Greenwood

A former defensive end who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and was a four-time Super Bowl champion and member of the 1970s All-Decade team.

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What they’re saying

“As the presentations and discussions proceeded, I found myself wanting to vote for all five — including Steelers great Greenwood, a four-time Super Bowl champ who was All-Decade in the 1970s, and Bengals quarterback Anderson, the 1981 MVP who led the league in passer rating four times. All three have been long deserving of induction in the Hall. All three have been, well, snubbed for decades.”

— Vahe Gregorian, Hall of Fame Voter

“I felt duty-bound to vote for the richly deserving seniors, who most likely won't ever have a hearing again as more senior candidates enter the pool and fresh cases get made for others. Meanwhile, Belichick is inevitable soon . . . as he should be. At the risk of contradicting my own vote, really, he shouldn't even have to wait.”

— Vahe Gregorian, Hall of Fame Voter

What’s next

The Hall of Fame is expected to review its voting process for 2027 in light of the criticism over the current system.

The takeaway

The Hall of Fame's new voting process, which requires voters to choose between finalists rather than simply voting yes or no on each one, has created difficult decisions for voters like Gregorian. This highlights the need for the Hall to re-evaluate its system to ensure the most deserving candidates, like Bill Belichick, are inducted in a timely manner.