The Chicago Bears have won 15 games under the three-year leadership of general manager Ryan Poles. While a 15-36 record might get most GM’s fired, the Bears chose to let Poles hire his second head coach this offseason (and the second head coach he’s hired without an in-person interview).
Poles didn’t appear to be on the hot seat at all following a 5-12 campaign in 2024.
During the Senior Bowl last week, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka explained that he noticed during his interview for the head coaching job in January that the Bears front office and ownership are aligned with Poles’ vision and have his back.
The Chicago Bears are expected to extend their GM
Per ESPN‘s Courtney Cronin, new head coach Ben Johnson never requested a change of GM during his interview process with Chicago. A source told Cronin that Poles is expected to agree to a three-year contract extension that will end in the same offseason as Johnson’s five-year contract.
“According to a team source with knowledge of the situation, Poles’ deal runs through the 2026 season, and the expectation is he will receive an extension to align him with Johnson, who signed a five-year contract with Chicago, a term that is common for first-time head coaches,” Cronin wrote.
That would mean Poles has the same number of wins through three seasons as years left on his contract.
Ryan Poles’ last bet
Poles has made several mistakes in his tenure with the Bears. He flubbed two coaching hires–former head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. His saving grace was the trade of the No. 1 pick with the Carolina Panthers in 2023 which allowed the Bears to land Caleb Williams in the 2024 draft. Having Williams on the roster was a pull for Johnson.
The Bears and Poles are mortgaging their future in the belief that the duo can be successful in Chicago.
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