The Pro Football Hall of Fame will make changes to its voting process in light of controversy over Bill Belichick not being elected to the 2026 class in his first year of eligibility.
Hall of Fame president Jim Portertold the Associated Pressthat the vote will go back to an in-person meeting and discussion among the 50-member committee. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the conversation and voting process was held virtually.
Additionally, the vote will occur closer to the announcement of the inductees at the NFL Honors event, held the Thursday prior to the Super Bowl. That scheduling change, likely for Super Bowl week in the host city, is intended to decrease the possibility of discussion and results leaking to the public, as happened when reports ofBelichick falling short of the 40 votesnecessary for election circulated among media.
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Porter also said the Hall would consider releasing vote totals and individual ballots to the public in future balloting, much like the Baseball Hall of Fame and Baseball Writers Association of America do. However, that won't be done for the 2026 class.
One part of the voting process that will be reviewed is a rule that groups coaches and contributors with older players who have been on the ballot for multiple years. Votersfelt they had to choosebetween longtime candidates who were running out of eligibility, such as running back Roger Craig (who was elected) and quarterback Ken Anderson (who was not), rather than vote for Belichick. That was viewed as a primary reason why the six-time Super Bowl winner was not elected.
Voters who might have violated rules by discussing the voting debate publicly and the process by which candidates were elected or left off the ballot could be replaced on the committee, according to Porter.
"I'm not here to tell them who the most deserving is,"Porter told the AP's Josh Dubow. "If the Hall was to tell who the most deserving is, we wouldn't need them to vote. We understand that. We just want the rules followed."
Five players were electedto the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class, as announced at Thursday's NFL Honors ceremony. Quarterback Drew Brees, receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri and Craig will be formally inducted into the Canton, Ohio, institution on Aug. 8.
