ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter joins Jen, Gabe & Chewy from Super Bowl week in San Francisco with strong opinions, insider perspective, and unmistakable frustration over what he calls an “embarrassing” Pro Football Hall of Fame voting process. 020426 Schefty on JGC What begins as a discussion about the league’s push toward an 18-game regular season quickly turns into a full-throated takedown of how the Hall of Fame operates — and why recent decisions involving Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft expose a system that no longer makes sense. 🏈 Why the NFLPA saying “no appetite” is just negotiation Schefter first addresses the NFL Players Association publicly stating it has “no appetite” for an 18th game. He explains why that language is exactly what the union should be saying — not because it’s final, but because it’s leverage. Schefter lays out the likely endgame: Owners want 18 games Players will resist publicly The final deal will include more money, fewer preseason games, and an extra bye week As Schefter bluntly puts it, if players are offered more pay and more rest, many will ultimately say yes — even if they don’t like it. 🌍 International games, Melbourne & the travel nightmare The conversation briefly shifts to the NFL’s global expansion, including the upcoming Melbourne, Australia game. Schefter acknowledges the logistical chaos: Massive time-zone differences Brutal travel demands Players’ bodies paying the price He expects teams playing in Australia to receive a mandatory bye week afterward, and admits the league is prioritizing global growth even when it clearly strains players. 🏆 The Hall of Fame explosion The heart of the segment erupts when Schefter addresses the news that Bill Belichick was not elected as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, nor was Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Schefter doesn’t hedge: He calls it ridiculous, petty, personal, and embarrassing He believes voters punished Belichick for Spygate and Deflategate, despite the league already issuing penalties He argues the Hall has no morality clause, making retroactive punishment inappropriate Schefter is especially incensed by the voting structure, where coaches, contributors, and senior players are lumped into one category and voters are forced to choose between incomparable candidates. “How do you compare Bill Belichick to Roger Craig? It doesn’t make any sense.” 🧠 Why this hurts everyone else Schefter explains the downstream damage: Only one coach can be inducted per year Greats like Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, and Tom Coughlin are now pushed back even further Elder candidates are forced to wait — sometimes until after they pass away He calls it cruel, unnecessary, and structurally broken. 🐐 The Tom Brady line in the sand Schefter draws one absolute boundary: If Tom Brady is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, “they should shut the place down.” To Schefter, Brady is the ultimate test of whether the Hall has any credibility left. If voters apply inconsistent standards — punishing coaches but not players — the entire institution collapses under its own hypocrisy. ⚖️ The bottom line Adam Schefter’s conclusion is fiery and unambiguous: The Hall of Fame voting system is flawed Too much power is concentrated in too few hands Personal grudges are affecting legacy decisions And the process needs structural change immediately Belichick will get in next year. Kraft will eventually get in. But the damage is already done. 🎧 A passionate, unfiltered, nationally relevant conversation about power, legacy, and why football’s gatekeepers are failing the very people they’re supposed to honor — with Adam Schefter on Jen, Gabe & Chewy. Adam Schefter, Bill Belichick Hall of Fame, Robert Kraft Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, NFL Hall of Fame voting, Tom Brady Hall of Fame, NFL 18-game season, NFL international games, Melbourne NFL game, NFLPA negotiations, Super Bowl week, ESPN Milwaukee, Jen Gabe and Chewy
