In 2022, the Bears hired Ryan Poles, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Executive Director of player personnel, as their new General Manager.
Following the hire, the Bears have been far from competitive. Since Poles’ hiring, the Bears have won just 14 games compared to 36 losses, set the franchise record for consecutive games lost at 14, and finished last in the NFC North each season.
With a coaching search awaiting this offseason, this begs the question: Is Poles the right man for the job?
The Bad
One reason many fans are skeptical of retaining Poles is because they’ve seen him conduct a coaching search before.
In 2022, Poles’ first act as GM was hiring Indianapolis Colts Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus as Head Coach. Throughout his tenure, the Bears hosted a league-worst 5-19 record in one-score games, had countless last-minute collapses, and failed to make the playoffs each season.
Following a Thanksgiving loss in Detroit, Eberflus became the first coach in franchise history to be fired mid-season.
However, that was not the only poor move Poles has made as GM.
Since 2022, there have been countless head-scratching trades and signings that didn’t work out. For instance, trading a second-round pick for Chase Claypool, signing Nate Davis to a three-year contract, trading away Roquan Smith, the list goes on.
Another criticism of Poles has been his inability to build a competent offensive line. In each of his three seasons, the Bears finished in the top 5 in most sacks allowed in the NFL. It’s hard to develop a young quarterback with inadequate protection.
While these moves would likely result in the firing of most front-office executives, Poles has one thing most struggling GMs don’t: a franchise quarterback.
The Good
In the 2022-23 offseason, Poles made a splash move ahead of the NFL draft. Poles traded their first overall pick to the Carolina Panthers for a haul that included star wide receiver D.J. Moore and a future first-round pick.
With a young Justin Fields at quarterback, it seemed the Bears were set up very nicely for the future. However, that all changed when the Panthers finished with the worst record in the NFL in 2023, awarding the Bears the first overall pick again.
After a 7-10 season, Poles had a big decision to make. Stick with Justin Fields, or draft star quarterback Caleb Williams out of USC? While fans were divided, and Poles ultimately elected to draft Williams. Despite early criticisms, it seems Poles made the right decision, as Williams has had a productive rookie season.
Another praiseworthy aspect of Poles has been his ability to draft, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Since 2022, he has drafted Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, and Gervon Dexter, all key pieces to the current Bears defense.
Ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, Poles also traded a second-round pick to Washington for pass rusher Montez Sweat. Sweat led the team with 12.5 sacks last season and was a Pro Bowl selection.
No matter who the Bears coach is in 2025, Sweat will be a corner-piece of their defense.
What this means going forward
According to Bears President Kevin Warren, he remains confident in Poles’ ability to manage this team.
“Ryan will serve as the point person on our upcoming search for a permanent head football coach,” said Warren following the firing of Eberflus. He later mentioned the two will work “in tandem” to make sure they bring in the right coach to Chicago.
We don’t know exactly whether this means Warren or Poles will get the final say. What we do know is that drafting Williams bought Poles some time. Whether Poles’ tenure as GM is labeled a success will heavily depend on nailing this upcoming coaching hire.
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