On Tuesday, Bill Belichick proposed an intriguing idea — renaming the Lombardi Trophy awarded to the Super Bowl champion. Whether he was serious or just speculating, he made a compelling argument. The legendary coach, now leading North Carolina while still maintaining some media roles, discussed this during an episode of the Let’s Go! podcast. He emphasized the crucial role of players in a team’s success, stating, “Players win games. You can’t win games without good players, I don’t care who the coach is. It’s impossible.”
Belichick then quickly named 17 star players from his tenure with the Patriots, where he secured six Super Bowl victories, and with the New York Giants, where he won two as a defensive coordinator. “Those are the guys that won the games,” he reflected. “Man, I didn’t make any tackles, I didn’t make any kicks… you’ve got to have good players.”
The Lombardi Trophy honors Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, who led his team to the first two Super Bowl victories and three NFL championships in five seasons prior to that inaugural Super Bowl in 1967. During the podcast, co-host Jim Gray noted, “They don’t name it the Starr Trophy; it’s named the Lombardi Trophy,” referring to the famed Packers quarterback Bart Starr. To which Belichick humorously replied, “Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy. He won seven of them.”
“They don’t name it the Starr Trophy. They name it the Lombardi Trophy.”
“Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy.”
🏆 @Belichick_B & @JimGrayOfficial on always crediting players before coaches, on this week’s “Let’s Go!”
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While it’s unclear if Belichick was being serious, his commendation of former players suggests he may be opening the floor for discussion on this topic. Renaming a trophy isn’t unprecedented; for instance, the Lombardi Trophy was originally called the “World Professional Football Championship” Trophy.
