Tom Brady knows it’s not a matter of if, but when.
During an appearance Tuesday on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” the legendary NFL quarterback, 48, weighed in on the latest chapter of Hall of Fame drama involving two notable Patriots figures, team owner Robert Kraft and former coach Bill Belichick, and whether their opening-round snubs have him nervous about his first try at football immortality.
“To me, it’s not a matter, just like Bill, of if they’re going to get in, it’s just when they’re going to get in,” Brady said. “They’re tremendous at what they’ve done in the league.”
Despite winning six Super Bowls during their two decades-plus working together, both Kraft, 84, and Belichick, 73, did not receive 40 of the 50 votes needed to be enshrined in Canton in their first year of eligibility.
Belichick’s fate drew outcry from the NFL community, with Brady — his quarterback for 20 seasons — among those who spoke out.
With Kraft also on the outside looking in, the seven-time Super Bowl champ offered a cheeky response when pondering if the cards will fall a similar way for him.
“Maybe it’s not trending so well for ex-Patriots, maybe I should be a little concerned here, but I think at some point this thing is going to go in everybody’s direction the right way,” Brady said.
Spygate, the 2007 scandal involving the Patriots videotaping the Jets’ signals, was an apparent talking point among voters, comprised of veteran journalists and notable league figures such as Tony Dungy and Bill Polian.
Polian, a former Colts executive, came under fire over his alleged role in the Belichick voting fallout, with his son, Brian, urging the masses to turn down the heat.
ESPN reported in late January how Polian allegedly “told some voters he believed Belichick should ‘wait a year’ before induction as penance for Spygate.”
Polian later confirmed with the Hall of Fame and presented evidence that he did vote for Belichick.
Dungy was asked about his votes on Tuesday, but declined to get into specifics.
“I’m a voter. I have not heard who’s in or who’s out, so I’m not going to make a comment on it and speculate. We’ll find out, I think, on Thursday who’s in and who’s out,” the Super Bowl-winning coach told Front Office Sports.
Brady, who retired from the league after 23 seasons in 2023, will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2028.
