ESPN, Bill Polian announce former NFL GM is retiring from network
ESPN announced on Friday that Bill Polian is retiring from the network after seven years as a “front office insider.”
The 76-year-old Polian served as general manager for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts during his 30-plus years in NFL front offices; he joined ESPN in 2012, after leaving the Colts.
Though Polian did not mention his relationship with the Alliance of American Football in his goodbye statement, he is heavily involved in the fledgling league; he’s a co-founder and head of football.
“After talking it over with my family, we decided now is the right time to finish this chapter in my career,” Polian said. Addressing ESPN brass and colleagues, he added, “It has been an honor and a pleasure to be your teammate. Over the course of seven seasons, you collectively proved true what I had long heard: Disney [ESPN’s parent company] really is the happiest place on Earth.”
On Wednesday, Polian said in an interview that there have been talks between the AAF and NFL about sharing players, and the AAF becoming something of a developmental league for the NFL.
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