LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. -- The Washington Football Team announced Monday that they have named Chris Polian as director of pro personnel. He joins Washington with 24 seasons of NFL experience as an executive and scout, including three seasons as vice president and general manager of the Indianapolis Colts.
Polian was most recently the director of pro personnel with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013-2019. He played a major factor in the team's free agency signings in 2017 of DE Calais Campbell, DT Malik Jackson and CB A.J. Bouye who were all Pro Bowl selections during their tenures in Jacksonville. In that offseason, he also helped target S Barry Church who along with Campbell, Jackson and Bouye helped anchor a defense that was ranked No. 2 in the NFL in 2017 and helped Jacksonville capture an AFC South title and appearance in the AFC Championship game.
Prior to his seven seasons with the Jaguars, Polian was an executive scout with the Atlanta Falcons in 2012 and also spent three seasons as vice president and general manager of the Indianapolis Colts from 2009-11. He started his career with Indianapolis in 1998 as the director of pro scouting from 1998-2000. Polian then held the position of assistant director of football operations from 2001-03 and was promoted to assistant general manager/football operations in 2004 and spent five seasons as the vice president of football operations from 2005-09. Prior to joining the Colts, Polian worked with the Carolina Panthers for four years (1994-97) as a personnel assistant.
During Polian's tenure in Indianapolis from 1998-2011, the Colts had a regular season record of 143-81 with playoff appearances in 10 of 14 seasons including seven division titles and a Super Bowl championship in 2006. The franchise also became the only team to win 12-plus games in seven consecutive seasons during that timeframe.
Polian is a native of New York, N.Y. and earned a bachelor's degree in communications from John Carroll University in 1993. His father, Bill, a 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee was a general manager of the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers. His brother, Brian, is the special teams coordinator at Notre Dame and his brother, Dennis, is the associate athletic director, football at the University of Arizona. He and his wife, Debbie, have three children, Jack (18), Caroline (16) and Kate (13).
POLIAN FOOTBALL TIMELINE
- 2021: Director of Pro Personnel, Washington Football Team
- 2013-19: Director of Pro Personnel, Jacksonville Jaguars
- 2012: Executive Scout, Atlanta Falcons
- 2009-11: Vice President and General Manager, Indianapolis Colts
- 2005-09: Vice President of Football Operations, Indianapolis Colts
- 2004: Assistant General Manager/Football Operations, Indianapolis Colts
- 2001-03: Assistant Director of Football Operations, Indianapolis Colts
- 1998-2000: Director of Pro Scouting, Indianapolis Colts
- 1994-97: Personnel Assistant, Carolina Panthers
