Belichick could be eligible for Hall of Fame sooner than expected

Patriots

The waiting period for coaches has been shortened from five years to one year.

The The Pro Football Hall-of-Fame has announced changes to its bylaws which will reduce the waiting period for candidates in the coaching category from five years out of the game to one year.

It means Bill Belichickwho resigned in January and hasn’t secured another coaching job since, will be eligible several years earlier than he otherwise would have been.

He would have had to wait until 2029 under the old rules.

Belichick will not be eligible for the 2025 class because the selection process has already begun, Pro Football Talk reports.

But Belichick could be inducted as soon as 2026 if he doesn’t accept another coaching job before then. The clock resets if Belichick takes another job.

Belichick is second behind Don Shula for the most wins as a head coach in NFL history. He has an NFL record eight Super Bowl wins – six as coach of the Patriots and two as an assistant coach with the Giants.