Legendary NFL Executive at Center of Bill Belichick Hall of Fame Firestorm
Bill Polian's feud with Bill Belichick dates back decades.
The Hall of Fame executive frequently clashed with Belichick during his illustrious career, especially as Indianapolis Colts president through the first wave of the Patriots' dynasty. The Patriots beat the Colts in back-to-back AFC Championships, before Peyton Manning finally vanquished Tom Brady in January 2007.
Over that time, Belichick was accused of cheating, most notably with the 2007 Spygate scandal. The NFL also investigated and subsequently punished the Patriots for allegedly deflating footballs in their blowout 2015 AFC Championship win over the Colts, otherwise known as Deflategate.
According to a report from ESPN's Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr., Polian played a role in convincing Hall of Fame voters Tuesday to pass on Belichick's candidacy. The iconic coach wasn't inducted, despite his record eight Super Bowl wins.
"Multiple sources told ESPN that Spygate and Deflategate, the twin cheating scandals during the Patriots’ championship run, came up in deliberations among voters," they wrote. "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.”
Yet, after ESPN's report was published, an alternate narrative started to emerge.
Polian's Denial
Sports Illustrated NFL writer Matt Verderame posted Tuesday evening that he spoke with Polian on the phone. Apparently, Polian denied swaying voters away from Belichick.
"That’s totally and categorically untrue," he said. "I voted for him."
Later, Van Natta shared his own conversation with the 83-year-old. He said he remembered Spygate coming up, but didn't introduce the topic himself.
He added he's "95%" certain that he voted for both Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who's vying for the Hall of Fame himself.
"I was shocked to learn Bill didn't get in," said Polian. "He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."
Polian, who built Super Bowl contenders in Buffalo, Carolina and Indy, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
I interviewed Bill Polian tonight. He denied telling fellow voters that Belichick should do a year of “penance” for Spygate, though he remembers other voters saying it.
— Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) January 28, 2026
He also can’t remember with 100 percent certainty if he voted for Belichick. He is certain he voted for Kraft. pic.twitter.com/zLeB6Xxsz8
Polian is Facing Major Criticism
Suffice to say, Polian's explanation isn't going over well, especially among prominent Patriots fans.
Bill Simmons says Polian exposed himself as a "petty, whiny, not-honest, hypocritical, self-serving, score-settling [expletive]."
Meanwhile, Dave Portnoy said Polian and former Colts head coach Tony Dungy, who's also on the voting committee, should be "tried for football crimes against humanity."
Belichick hasn't publicly commented on the matter.