Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson are being encouraged to organize an extravagant wedding on August 8, coinciding with the date when the NFL legend was anticipated to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

At 73, Belichick was highly anticipated to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer. However, the NFL community was left in shock on Tuesday when it was announced that the celebrated eight-time Super Bowl champion had been overlooked for the 2026 induction.

Though Belichick, who is currently the head coach at the University of North Carolina, has not publicly commented on the surprising decision, a close source has shared insights into his feelings with the Daily Mail.

It seems that some friends have come up with an imaginative plan to help the ‘stunned’ coach get back at those who denied him the honor.

“Friends have suggested, perhaps in jest, that he should either get engaged or married on the Hall of Fame day to divert the spotlight,” the source revealed to the Daily Mail.

‘But he wouldn’t want to do it and that will remain a joke, because he has too much respect for those people and wouldn’t be that petty. He wouldn’t want to disrespect those who are actually getting inducted.’ 

Bill Belichick has been left baffled by the decision to keep him out of Pro Football’s Hall of Fame, an insider said. The NFL legend is pictured with girlfriend Jordon Hudson at NFL Honors last year

Friends have joked to Bill and Jordon that they should schedule a wedding for August 8, according to our source

The 2026 Hall of Fame class will be announced during Super Bowl week at the NFL Honors ceremony, with their enshrinement taking place on August 8 in Canton, Ohio.

Belichick fell short of the 40 out of 50 votes needed for induction, as first revealed by ESPN to much surprise on Tuesday evening.

He was told last Friday by a Hall of Fame representative, and the Daily Mail understands he spent the weekend coming to terms with the news.

‘Simply put, he was shocked but then when it settled, it wasn’t that much of a surprise because this is the NFL – he’s been dealing with this kind of stuff for the last few years,’ our source adds.

Many are expecting some sort of response from the often-outspoken Jordon Hudson too, Belichick’s 25-year-old former cheerleader girlfriend.

Belichick is an eight-time Super Bowl winner, six of which as head coach of the Patriots

Jordon is said to be ‘upset’ and weighing up how she wishes to respond to the shock news

Jordon, who is highly active on social media, is currently weighing up her next move and how hard she wants to go with her response to the news.

‘Jordon is trying very hard not to say anything, but it is very hard not to bring it up,’ the source close to the couple added. ‘They are still processing it and now that everyone knows, the band aid has been ripped off and now they have to think about it again. 

‘They will deal with it their own way and will do something very tongue in cheek about it… that will be their answer.

‘But she is upset… upset for Bill. It is all very dumb that he was snubbed.’ 

ESPN also reported that Belichick had privately asked an associate, ‘six Super Bowls isn’t enough?’, referring to the titles he won as head coach of the New England Patriots.

He won an additional two as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.

Belichick took the weekend to reflect on the news that he won’t be enshrined in 2026, a source told the Daily Mail

In a statement released on Tuesday night, a spokesperson for the Pro Football Hall of Fame responded to the news by simply stating: ‘The Pro Football Hall of Fame does not comment on the voting of the Selection Committee and awaits the unveiling of the Class of 2026 at “NFL Honors” on February 5 in San Francisco.’

It remains unclear exactly who voted against Belichick’s first-year induction, and it is unlikely that it’ll ever come to light, especially given the wild backlash they would surely receive from fans.

The decision has even prompted a furious response from President Donald Trump, who wrote on Truth Social early on Wednesday morning: ‘It is the same mindset that gave pro football the new and unwatchable “Sissy” Kickoff Rule, that made it possible for Bill Belichick to not be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Both are ridiculous and should be overturned!’ 

The voting committee is mostly made up of veteran NFL reporters but also includes prominent football figures such as Tony Dungy and former general manager Bill Polian.

Polian himself has received plenty of heat in the wake of the Belichick snub, and he has since backtracked from an initial claim that he ‘100 percent’ voted for the Patriots legend to be inducted.

Even President Donald Trump was left furious at the decision to keep Belichick off the list

Belichick, pictured with Tom Brady, has won the second-most games of any NFL coach ever

He later said, per ESPN, ‘that he could not remember with 100 percent certainty if he voted for Belichick, saying he was 95 percent sure he voted for the coach and a player, most likely L.C. Greenwood.’

The Spygate and Deflategate controversies are reported to have swayed some voters away from giving Belichick the first-year nod, and Polian is claimed to have urged his fellow voters to make him ‘wait a year’.

Polian quickly denied that after the announcement, telling Sports Illustrated: ‘That’s totally and categorically untrue. I voted for him.’ 

Belichick has an NFL head coaching record of 333-178, including the playoffs, making him second only to Don Shula (347) in overall wins.