The Pro Football Hall of Fame confirmed Wednesday that Bill Polian voted to induct Bill Belichick in the legendary coach’s first year of eligibility, backing up prior statements from the former Indianapolis Colts executive amid lingering questions surrounding the vote.
Bill Polian Confirms He Voted for Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame Induction
A Hall of Fame spokesperson said Polian did not speak during the discussion of Belichick’s candidacy and did not raise any of the former New England Patriots coach’s past controversies, including Spygate or Deflategate. The independent auditing firm that oversees Hall of Fame balloting also verified Polian’s vote in favor of Belichick.
Belichick, who is now the head coach at North Carolina, needed 40 of the 50 selectors (80 percent) to be elected but fell short. Despite owning six Super Bowl championships and ranking second all-time in total wins (including playoffs), his failure to gain first-ballot induction surprised many around the league. His eventual enshrinement is still widely viewed as inevitable.
Polian found himself addressing an ESPN report earlier this week that suggested he believed Belichick should “wait a year” because of the Patriots’ past scandals. Polian strongly denied that characterization, though he acknowledged hearing similar sentiments circulated by other selectors — most of whom are media members.
“I was shocked to learn Bill didn’t get in,” Polian told ESPN. “He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”
Polian doubled down Wednesday during his SiriusXM radio show, reading a prepared statement clarifying his position.
“I voted for Coach Belichick in the Hall of Fame selection meeting,” Polian said. “The Pro Football Hall of Fame has confirmed that fact through the auditors of the selection process. Again, I’ll state that I never said that I believe that Coach Belichick should ‘wait a year’ for enshrinement. This has been confirmed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, numerous selectors who were in the room, and my vote for Coach Belichick.”
“As a Hall of Fame member and selector, I realize the importance of what we do,” Polian continued. “I’ve always tried as a selector to make these difficult choices with the utmost objectivity. I’ve said on SiriusXM radio and numerous other media outlets that I believe Coach Belichick to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. My vote confirms that.”
(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)Here’s Why One Voter Did Not Vote For Belichick
While Polian’s vote is now officially confirmed, at least 11 selectors reportedly chose not to vote for Belichick, preventing his induction this year. One of those voters, Vahe Gregorian of The Kansas City Star, publicly explained his reasoning on Wednesday.
Gregorian wrote that his decision had nothing to do with Belichick’s controversies. Instead, he used his limited senior-category votes on long-overlooked players he believes are overdue for enshrinement: Roger Craig, L.C. Greenwood, and Ken Anderson. By doing so, he acknowledged that he had to pass on Belichick — and Patriots owner Robert Kraft — due to ballot constraints.
Belichick was part of a seniors category that included five candidates, from which voters could select one to three names, while also choosing up to five modern-era players. Gregorian cited what he described as an “overwhelming” backlog of deserving candidates, including dozens of former all-decade players who may never receive another serious chance for induction.
“Each of those men, in my opinion, unequivocally belongs in Canton,” Gregorian wrote, referring to Craig, Greenwood, and Anderson, “among dozens of at least semi-similarly decorated players who have been relegated to what PFHOF voters have come to call the ‘abyss’ of senior candidates.”
For now, Belichick remains on the outside looking in — a temporary status few expect to last long.
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)Broncos QB Bo Nix: Ankle Injury “A Simple Bone Break,” No Long-Term Concerns
Denver quarterback Bo Nix tried to finish the job before realizing anything was wrong. On the final drive of the Denver Broncos’ 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, Nix took a hit on a designed run, popped up, and kept playing. One snap later, he launched a deep ball that drew pass interference and set up Wil Lutz’s game-winning field goal. Only afterward did the news land — X-rays showed a fracture.
On Wednesday, Nix called the injury “a simple bone break,” adding that he’ll have “absolutely no issues” once he returns to training in four to six weeks. The quarterback said he didn’t initially think the injury was serious, which made the diagnosis sting all the more.
“I was just going about business as usual,” Nix said, via the team’s official website. “I wasn’t in shock, but just very happy and very thrilled about how we finished that game… You don’t get these opportunities. … I got checked out and, unfortunately, found out the news, and it’s just a bummer. It’s crushing. It’s defeating. You play that many games and have that good of a season, and then it just comes to an end abruptly like that. It stinks.”
Nix clarified there was “nothing that was predisposed” about the injury, pushing back on any suggestion it stemmed from a prior issue.
“Nothing that was predisposed, nothing that was there originally,” Nix said. “That might have gotten confused. It was just a simple step… My body weight came down on it, and it sort of got twisted up. … It was just one of those missteps.”
The fracture ultimately kept Nix out of Denver’s AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots, but the outlook remains encouraging. Nix said the surgery was straightforward, and the rehab timeline aligns with what was already expected to be a lighter stretch following his second NFL season.
Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesExtra Points
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