Ever since Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft were snubbed from first-ballot Hall of Fame consideration ahead of the Super Bowl, one concern has quietly grown louder: what if the same thing happens to Tom Brady? Amid that tension, Stephen A. Smith has made it clear that repeating history with Brady would be crossing a line.

“You can’t leave Tom Brady out as first Ballot Hall of Fame,” Smith said. “He’s a seven-time champion. Universally recognized as the GOAT in football. You can turn around and omit him from the Hall of Fame as a first Ballot because there’s no credibility. That happens, nobody wants to hear anything. I mean, it’s bad enough you did it to Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft.”

Despite Belichick and Kraft winning six Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots, both were still passed over on the first ballot. That’s why it’s only natural to ask whether the same could happen to Brady. After all, the former Patriots quarterback was one of the central pillars of the dynasty built alongside Belichick and Kraft. On paper, the idea of Brady being snubbed by the Hall sounds absurd.

Brady led New England to six Super Bowl titles, won three MVP awards, and finished his career as the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (649) and passing yards (89,214). He’s also the only player in league history to win five Super Bowl MVP awards. But the conversation becomes murkier when you consider recent history: few believed Belichick or Kraft would be snubbed either.

Yet, here we are, with the Hall of Fame voters having rejected both. That’s why Smith has remained vocal that nobody would want to hear anything if Brady were to suffer the same fate. And it’s not the first time he’s raised the concern.

“You might as well burn down the building if that happens, there is no Hall of Fame,” Smith had said earlier. “If you can’t have Tom Brady up in there as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, the credibility of the institution that is the Hall of Fame goes right out the freaking window. It’s over. We understand that, right?”

For now, though, one thing is clear: Brady will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2028. Under Hall rules, players must be inactive for five consecutive seasons. And with Brady officially retiring in 2023, that makes 2028 the earliest possible window.

There was never supposed to be a debate about Brady being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But after the Patriots endured a double Hall of Fame snub, that topic is now set to remain at the center of the conversation all the way to 2028.

Robert Kraft joins Bill Belichick in stunning Hall of Fame snub

The Patriots have officially ushered in a new era, with Mike Vrabel guiding the franchise back to the Super Bowl. Still, despite the on-field resurgence, they won’t have representation in Canton this year. Following Bill Belichick’s being passed over for first-ballot Hall of Fame induction, team owner Robert Kraft joined him ahead of the Super Bowl.

While official vote totals remain undisclosed, Kraft failed to secure the required 40 of 50 votes needed for induction. The league’s winningest Super Bowl–winning owner was one of five finalists in the contributor and senior categories, a group that also included Belichick. Under the Hall’s voting rules, selectors must choose three of the five finalists, with between one and three contributors or senior candidates ultimately elected.

Any finalist receiving at least 40 votes is inducted; if no one reaches that threshold, the highest vote-getter earns election. Although the full results were not released, Kraft did not reach the 40-vote mark. A similar outcome followed for Belichick. The eight-time Super Bowl–winning head coach also fell short of the 40-vote requirement. In Belichick’s case, his involvement in the “Spygate” and “Deflategate” controversies reportedly factored into the decision.

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During the 2007 Spygate scandal, the Patriots lost a first-round draft pick and were fined $500,000. Belichick, meanwhile, was fined $250,000. Even so, the decisions have placed HOF voters under increased scrutiny for overlooking two central figures of the Patriots dynasty.

Whether Tom Brady could face a similar outcome of the line, or ultimately sail through as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, remains to be seen.