Update: ESPN reports that Bill Polian will not be joining the Bills and instead wills stay with them via Adam Schefter’s Facebook.
Mort’s story on Bill Polian resisting Buffalo overtures:
Bill Polian today informed Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula that he will remain as an ESPN NFL analyst and commentator for 2015 and beyond.
Pegula had reached out to Polian in an advisory capacity and eventually gauged his interest to head the team’s front office. That led to further discussions but Polian decided he was content with his current quality of personal and professional life. Pegula was understanding of Polian’s position.
Polian, 72, has been adamant that media reports about his impending return to Buffalo whether this week or next month were erroneous. Pegula never made a formal offer to Polian but the two men had discussions about a prominent position.
Polian reinforced to Pegula that his desire to stay with ESPN was set in stone. Polian has resisted overtures from other franchises, too.
Polian was the architect of a Bills team that went to four Super Bowls, even as Polian moved on to similar positions with the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts before he joined ESPN. He is the only six-time recipient of the NFL executive of the year award and is one of two finalists for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when the voting occurs Jan. 31.
On Wednesday the Bills hired former Colts general manager Bill Polian to take over as their team president.
And now we know the reason head coach Doug Marrone opted out of his contract with $4 million remaining on it.
Bill Polian will be taking over as Bills team president/football czar but move may not be announced til late Jan, due to his commitments
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) December 31, 2014
Polian has been out of football since 2011 when the Colts fired him in a slue of moves to rid themselves of any connections to Peyton Manning.
The signing of Polian leaves the futures of current team president Russ Brandon and general manager Doug Whaley up in the air. Both will likely be let go shortly. Whaley and Marrone had been in a bit of a power struggle of late. While Marrone’s exit makes it appear that Whaley was on the winning side, Polian’s entrance into this one gives him a 50/50 chance of returning at best. Former general manager Buddy Nix’s contract with the Bills ends within the next month and he will not be retrained.
As for the Bills head coaching search the hot name thus far is Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich.
Reich is a bit of a Bills legend serving as the backup to Jim Kelly for nine seasons.
