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Rob Gronkowski: 'No other coach' should ever be first-ballot Hall of Famer after Bill Belichick snub

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz02/05/26NickSchultz_7

With the Pro Football Hall of Fame announcement coming Thursday, the reaction continues to come in after Bill Belichick’s first-ballot snub. Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski made his thoughts clear on Wednesday.

Gronkowski ripped the Hall of Fame after Belichick’s absence from the Class of 2026. The eight-time Super Bowl champion – six of which came as Patriots head coach – did not get in on the first try after reportedly falling one vote short of the 40 required for enshrinement.

Given Belichick’s achievements, Gronkowski said no other head coach should get in on the first ballot. He specifically noted Andy Reid as someone who should have to wait in light of Belichick’s snub.

“Ridiculous,” Gronkowski told Front Office Sports on Radio Row at Super Bowl LX. “I mean, Coach Belichick needs to be in the Hall of Fame, and it needed to be a first ballot. Now, there’s no such thing as a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach. No other coach ever in history should go first-ballot. And there’s a guy out there – Andy Reid – but he can’t go first-ballot now because Coach Belichick wasn’t first ballot.”

Belichick spent 24 seasons as the Patriots’ head coach, leading the franchise to six Super Bowls during that time. On the whole, during his legendary coaching career, he had a 302-165 overall record to go with a 31-13 mark in the postseason.

Bill Belichick’s 302 regular-season wins put him third all-time behind George Halas (318) and Don Shula (328) on the all-time winningest coaches list. Counting the postseason, Belichick sits just behind Shula’s 347 total victories on the all-time list.

Rob Gronkowski: Robert Kraft should also be Hall of Famer

But Rob Gronkowski said Belichick isn’t the only Patriots legend who deserved to get in the Hall of Fame this year. He also called out Robert Kraft’s absence from this year’s class, pointing out his success beyond Belichick’s tenure.

“And RKK [Kraft] should’ve already been in the Hall of Fame,” Gronkowski said. “I mean, what this guy has done, winningest franchise in history. His 10th Super Bowl now, going to a Super Bowl this year. He went to a Super Bowl before the Belichick-Brady era, as well.

“RKK, what he has done not just for the New England Patriots, but for football as a whole with all the TV contracts and everything. Both of them should be in the Hall of Fame.”