Official 2026 NFL Black Monday Thread

[Patler]

McCarthy is an odd hire for the Steelers. Since 1969 they have had only three head coaches; Noll, Cowher and Tomlin. Kind of an amazing history of longevity. Not only was each in his 30s when hired, each retired at an age younger than what McCarthy is now, when being hired. Noll coached 23 seasons, Cowher 15 seasons and Tomlin 19 seasons. How long do they expect McCarthy to last?

[Fritz]

Long enough to win a Super Bowl?

[bobblehead]

McCarthy is an odd hire for the Steelers. Since 1969 they have had only three head coaches; Noll, Cowher and Tomlin. Kind of an amazing history of longevity. Not only was each in his 30s when hired, each retired at an age younger than what McCarthy is now, when being hired. Noll coached 23 seasons, Cowher 15 seasons and Tomlin 19 seasons. How long do they expect McCarthy to last?

I think Tomlin never finished under .500. I'm predicting that streak of the steelers ends in 2026 season.

[Joemailman]

Buffalo promotes OC Joe Brady to HC

Brian Callahan - Tennessee Hired Robert Saleh
Brian Daboll - New York Giants Hired John Harbaugh
Raheem Morris - Atlanta Hired Kevin Stefanski
Kevin Stefanski - Cleveland
Pete Carroll - Las Vegas
Jonathan Gannon - Arizona
John Harbaugh - Baltimore Hired Jesse Minter
Mike McDaniel - Miami Hired Jeff Hafley
Mike Tomlin - Pittsburgh Hired Mike McCarthy
Sean McDermott - Buffalo Hired Joe Brady

[Fritz]

Is Sean McDermott coming to Detroit as a coordinator?

[Fosco33]

How did Belichick not get a first ballot hof nod? Deflate and spygate?

[Joemailman]

How did Belichick not get a first ballot hof nod? Deflate and spygate?

Multiple sources told ESPN that Spygate and Deflategate, the twin cheating scandals during the Patriots' championship run, came up in deliberations among voters. A voter who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Polian, an ardent Kraft supporter and former general manager of the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts -- a chief Patriots rival during their dynasty -- told some voters he believed Belichick should "wait a year" before induction as penance for Spygate, the 2007 cheating scandal that cost the team a first-round draft pick. Commissioner Roger Goodell also fined Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots $250,000.

"The only explanation [for the outcome] was the cheating stuff," a veteran Hall voter told ESPN on Tuesday. "It really bothered some of the guys."

In an interview with ESPN on Tuesday night, Polian denied telling fellow voters that Belichick should serve a one-year penance for Spygate. He said he heard his fellow voters "float that idea" but insisted he didn't agree or disagree with the proposal. Polian said he voted for Kraft and even spoke up on his behalf during the deliberations, saying Kraft had no knowledge of the Spygate scheme. Polian added that he could not remember with 100% certainty if he voted for Belichick, saying he was 95% sure he voted for the coach and a player, "most likely" Greenwood.

"I was shocked to learn Bill didn't get in," Polian said. "He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."

[Patler]

If players are punished by Halls of Fame for betting, using performance enhancers, etc. why shouldn't coaches be punished similarly for cheating?

[pbmax]

If players are punished by Halls of Fame for betting, using performance enhancers, etc. why shouldn't coaches be punished similarly for cheating?

Because the Pro Football Hall of Fame doesn't list it as a qualifier or prerequisite? Also the committee cannot even devise a solid method of winnowing down lists and voting. They are in no position to judge and then vote on character. Does the bio the voters get even include the pertinent details? For me Deflate-Gate was next to nothing and with a correctly applied Ideal Gas Law*, it might literally have been nothing. Spygate was more serious which you could tell because Roger Goodell burned the evidence voluntarily.

And if cheating was disqualifying, a lot of coaches would still be waiting. Think about the 70s Steelers lineman who wouldn't be in because they were getting juiced illegally.

I'd be more exercised if this did not read to me like a pissing contest between Belichick and Kraft. Kraft hasn't gotten in yet and Polian voted for him. I am not surprised Polian was agitating to keep Belichick out for a year. They deserve each other.

* Ideal Gas Law applied by the investigative team made it look obvious the balls had violated the minimum inflation setting. But the correctly applied Van der Waals equations made it far less certain. VdW version of the Gas Law is much more accurate in real world conditions.

.
However, it looks like Billy and Bobby were the victims of a shoddily constructed process that was changed for this year:

Mike Sando @SandoNFL

I'm a HOF voter who saw Belichick as slam-dunk. I don't know anything about voting results, but if this is true, and we'll find out officially next week, the question is, how could this happen?

Before I list possibilities, understand this:

Belichick, Kraft, Craig, Anderson & Greenwood are competing for 1-3 spots, separate from the 15 modern-era finalists

50 voters each pick 3 of the 5

Between 1-3 make it (40+ votes needed for anyone besides top vote getter to make it)

So it's a ZERO-SUM game, huge change made in '25: 250 total votes to go around for five candidates with a high bar for clearance

Now we count the potential ways Belichick might get fewer than 40 votes even when 40+ on committee think he's a HOFer...

•Let's say 4-5 voters who were strong advocates for specific senior players figured Belichick was going to make it regardless, so they funneled votes to competing candidates in hopes of boosting them over the 40-vote threshold;

•Let's say a few voters prioritized senior players on the thinking that Belichick will be back in the room next year, while the players on the ballot this year might disappear into the senior pool forever

•Let's say a few voters found Spygate/cheating disqualifying

•Let's say a few voters protested new rules making coaches eligible one year after retiring instead of five

Whatever the case, I would see this as a repudiation of the new voting rules implemented for 2025, not of Belichick or any candidate not making it.

There will be changes to the process, I predict

Posted on Twitter yesterday https://x.com/SandoNFL/status/2016296455305392315

[Patler]

When voters vote, even specified and clearly defined qualifiers, disqualifiers, prerequisites, criteria and conditions mean nothing when the candidate is on the list. Voters vote however they want, including and applying whatever jealousies and favoritisms they want to. Voters are not asked to explain why they did or didn't vote for any candidate or even disclose who they did vote for. It doesn't surprise me at all that enough voters may have decided to make Belichick wait for a year or two because of Spygate, (which as I recall was not just a single incident but included a second occurrence even after the first had been discovered.)

I agree that by itself the ball inflation thing was not a big deal and would have been quickly forgotten, except that for many it was a "here they go again" incident.

Lots of player-cheaters are in the various Halls of Fame, and many who were likely less serious transgressors have been kept out. If "Belicheat" is made to wait a couple years, it doesn't bother me in the least.

[Joemailman]

Cleveland hires former Tampa Bay and Baltimore OC Todd Monken as HC

Brian Callahan - Tennessee Hired Robert Saleh
Brian Daboll - New York Giants Hired John Harbaugh
Raheem Morris - Atlanta Hired Kevin Stefanski
Kevin Stefanski - Cleveland Hired Todd Monken
Pete Carroll - Las Vegas
Jonathan Gannon - Arizona
John Harbaugh - Baltimore Hired Jesse Minter
Mike McDaniel - Miami Hired Jeff Hafley
Mike Tomlin - Pittsburgh Hired Mike McCarthy
Sean McDermott - Buffalo Hired Joe Brady

[pbmax]

Cleveland hires former Tampa Bay and Baltimore OC Todd Monken as HC

Brian Callahan - Tennessee Hired Robert Saleh
Brian Daboll - New York Giants Hired John Harbaugh
Raheem Morris - Atlanta Hired Kevin Stefanski
Kevin Stefanski - Cleveland Hired Todd Monken
Pete Carroll - Las Vegas
Jonathan Gannon - Arizona
John Harbaugh - Baltimore Hired Jesse Minter
Mike McDaniel - Miami Hired Jeff Hafley
Mike Tomlin - Pittsburgh Hired Mike McCarthy
Sean McDermott - Buffalo Hired Joe Brady

Curious how Monken will do. He's an offensive creative, not sure how HC will suit him.

[Joemailman]

Curious how Monken will do. He's an offensive creative, not sure how HC will suit him.

It's Cleveland. What could go wrong?

[pbmax]

When voters vote, even specified and clearly defined qualifiers, disqualifiers, prerequisites, criteria and conditions mean nothing when the candidate is on the list. Voters vote however they want, including and applying whatever jealousies and favoritisms they want to. Voters are not asked to explain why they did or didn't vote for any candidate or even disclose who they did vote for. It doesn't surprise me at all that enough voters may have decided to make Belichick wait for a year or two because of Spygate, (which as I recall was not just a single incident but included a second occurrence even after the first had been discovered.)

I agree that by itself the ball inflation thing was not a big deal and would have been quickly forgotten, except that for many it was a "here they go again" incident.

Lots of player-cheaters are in the various Halls of Fame, and many who were likely less serious transgressors have been kept out. If "Belicheat" is made to wait a couple years, it doesn't bother me in the least.

Not bothered either. I think cheating might have cost him a couple votes but the voting process cost him some more. He won't have to wait as long as Al Davis (7 years).

What also likely cost him votes was treating reporters as beneath him. Except among the sycophants, there isn't much love lost so there were likely a lot of people willing to let others vote him in as they cast votes for players with far fewer remaining chances.

[pbmax]

It's Cleveland. What could go wrong?