Colts Legend Bill Polian Accused in Belichick Hall of Fame Fiasco

Former Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian was accused of turning Hall of Fame voters away from Bill Belichick.

Dec 16, 2007; Oakland, CA, USA; Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian watches warmups before game against the Oakland Raiders at McAfee Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Yesterday, news broke that longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will not be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. According to sources who spoke with ESPN, former Indianapolis Colts general manager and president Bill Polian may have had something to do with that.

Polian supposedly told some voters that Belichick should "wait a year" as punishment for Spygate and Deflategate, two cheating scandals that tarnish the legacy of the eight-time Super Bowl winner. Spygate, which is the more serious of the two scandals,

Polian denied the reports, saying he's "95% sure" he voted for Belichick to get in.

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

Belichick, on the other hand, was shocked.

"Six Super Bowls isn't enough?" Belichick asked an associate. "What more does a guy have to do?"

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in 2023. | Robert Deutsch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During Polian's time in Indianapolis, the Patriots were a top rival of the Colts. Those duels between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were must-watch television, and the two sides met plenty of times.

Polian Denies Not Voting for Belichick

Sports Illustrated reporter Matt Verderame spoke on the phone with Polian on Tuesday night after reports broke that Polian may have led resistance efforts to block Belichick from becoming a first-ballot inductee.

"I just spoke on the phone with Bill Polian and asked whether he was an influence on Bill Belichick being snubbed by the Hall of Fame. His quote:

'That’s totally and categorically untrue. I voted for him,' Verderame posted on X."

I just spoke on the phone with Bill Polian and asked whether he was an influence on Bill Belichick being snubbed by the Hall of Fame. His quote:

“That’s totally and categorically untrue. I voted for him."

— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) January 27, 2026

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Polian had another interview with ESPN on Tuesday night, in which he said he wasn't 100% certain he had voted for Belichick, which only makes things more confusing.

If there is any reason to leave Belichick out, it's not because of his lack of trophies. Belichick won six Super Bowl rings in New England, half of which came during Polian's time as an executive in Indianapolis. Before the Colts left for the AFC South in 2002, they played New England twice a year as a member of the AFC East.

The Colts went 8-4 against Brady and Belichick's Patriots when Manning was in town, including a 2-1 postseason record. It would make sense that Polian didn't want to do any favors for Belichick, but it's shocking that he's denying reports of his involvement despite multiple sources claiming he led the resistance efforts.

Regardless of who led the campaign against Belichick, the 73-year-old will have to wait another year before receiving his gold jacket.