Ryan Poles is the youngest GM in the NFL. From the way he handles things, you wouldn’t know that. He operates like somebody with several years of experience. When he stepped to the podium for his end-of-year press conference on January 10th, everybody knew the question he was going to get. What are his thoughts and plans regarding Justin Fields? Speculation has already begun that the Chicago Bears might consider pivoting away from the 23-year-old now that they hold the #1 pick in the draft. This gives him a golden opportunity to select somebody of his choice and give his regime a fresh start.
When the question came, Poles was ready. He stated clearly that the plan for 2023 is for Fields to be the starting quarterback. He praised Justin for his progress in his playmaking prowess and becoming more explosive and efficient. All the while, he made sure to send a message that the quarterback must improve as a passer. Fields only threw for 2200 yards and 17 touchdowns while fumbling 16 times.
The final masterstroke came when asked if he’d consider a QB at #1. Poles stated that Fields is the guy, but the team will do its due diligence on every draft prospect, including the quarterbacks. He would have to be convinced beyond all doubt to make a change.
Ryan Poles walked the tightrope to perfection.
How so? His answers made it clear he remains 100% confident in Fields. The plan has not changed. The young QB is the guy unless something drastic happens. At the same time, he kept things just vague enough to have teams wondering if he might actually take a quarterback at #1. This works in his favor both ways. It will get teams calling about the availability of Fields so he can see what the market looks like. In addition, it also keeps his intentions for #1 a mystery. More confusion creates more panic, and more panic leads to rash decisions, such as giving up massive pick packages to get the QB you covet.
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An educated guess is Ryan Poles will stick by his word. Fields will remain the starting quarterback. The Bears will either take the best player on their board at #1 or trade it for a bounty. The GM is simply doing the right thing by keeping his real intentions vague. If he somehow does decide to change quarterbacks, it will be because he’s confident that the young man has superstardom in his future. One can’t fault a GM for doing that. He best be prepared for a firestorm if that happens, though.
