Randy Moss: Only players and coaches should vote for hall of fame

Randy Moss doesn’t want to take anything away from the players who got into the Hall of Fame this year. But he has something to say about the voters who kept Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft out.

“If you didn’t play it, if you didn’t coach it, you shouldn’t have a vote,” Moss said. “I don’t care who you are, and I don’t care how you feel about it.”

“If you didn’t play it, if you didn’t coach it, you shouldn’t have a vote.”

—@RandyMoss on Hall of Fame voting after Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft were not selected 👀 pic.twitter.com/DV3rJp6n6v

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 8, 2026

Moss made the comments after the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2026, which did not include Belichick or Kraft, both of whom fell short in their first year of eligibility. The shock that the most successful coach in NFL history didn’t make it on the first ballot sent the football world scrambling to understand what happened and who was responsible.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee consists of 50 voters, primarily comprised of media members representing each NFL city. Belichick needed 40 votes to get in. He got 39. One vote away from enshrinement. Eleven voters left him off their ballots entirely.

The fallout from Belichick’s snub has exposed deep frustration with who gets to decide which players, coaches, and contributors belong in Canton. Moss isn’t the first person to question whether media members should control the process, but he’s the most prominent voice to say it this bluntly after Belichick’s rejection.

Two voters publicly explained why they didn’t vote for Belichick. Kansas City Star columnist Vahe Gregorian said he voted for three senior candidates — Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, and L.C. Greenwood — because they face narrowing windows for enshrinement. At the same time, Belichick would inevitably get in next year. Gregorian insisted his ballot wasn’t a vote against Belichick but rather a vote for deserving seniors who might never get another chance.

Indianapolis reporter Mike Chappell took a different approach. He voted for Kraft and two senior candidates, meaning he chose between the two Patriots figures who defined the dynasty. Chappell said he generally favors senior candidates and that Spygate factored into his thinking, though he insisted Belichick belongs in the Hall and will get in next year.

Former Colts executive Bill Polian denied allegations that he lobbied other voters to wait a year before inducting Belichick as punishment for Spygate and Deflategate. Polian said he voted for Belichick and called the accusations “totally and categorically untrue.” But an anonymous voter told ESPN that Polian suggested to other voters they should make Belichick wait, and since ballots aren’t public, there’s no way to verify what Polian actually did.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame issued a blunt warning to voters after news of Belichick’s snub leaked before the official announcement. The Hall said if any voter violated the selection process bylaws, action would be taken, including removing them from the committee.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame voting process allows voters to lobby each other and give speeches in favor of candidates during an all-day meeting. That creates opportunities for persuasion and agenda-setting that don’t exist in baseball, where voters cast ballots individually. If one person or a small group wants to make a statement, they have more influence in the football process.

Tony Dungy criticized the Hall of Fame voting process last year after only three modern-era players were selected for the Class of 2025. Dungy, who’s a voter himself, said the committee discussed eight or nine players who should have gone in but elected only three. “To me, it doesn’t make sense,” Dungy said.

Now Dungy is facing questions about whether he voted for Belichick and Kraft. He refused to answer when asked directly by reporters this week, saying he hasn’t heard who’s in or who’s out officially and won’t speculate until the results are announced.

Moss doesn’t care about the speculation or the deflections. He knows what he believes. Players and coaches should vote for the Hall of Fame because they’re the ones qualified to judge what it takes to reach that level. Media members can write about it, talk about it, and debate it. But he doesn’t believe they should control who gets in.

“I know it’s going to ruffle some feathers,” Moss added.