Everybody knew Matt Eberflus was gone even before the moment finally arrived after Thanksgiving last year. What Chicago Bears fans didn’t know was whether GM Ryan Poles would join him. Many wanted him gone after watching the Eberflus debacle, not to mention his backward way of building the roster, with not enough attention being paid to the offensive and defensive lines. Nate Davis? Chase Claypool? It was hard to overlook his biggest mistakes as the season spiraled out of control.
As the was happening, sources revealed to SM that another team sent out feelers to the Bears about Poles’ availability. It isn’t entirely clear which one it was, but there is speculation it was the New York Jets, who had interest in Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. It didn’t happen. The Bears made it clear Poles was staying and the interest died away. It is fascinating to think how different things might’ve turned out had the McCaskeys and team president Kevin Warren opened that door.
Ryan Poles didn’t want to leave.
While he was frustrated by how bad the season turned out, the Bears GM never made it seem like he wanted out. He had already been formulating plans for what to do at head coach and how to retool the roster this off-season. Once everybody was on the same page, he hit the ground running last month. After an extensive search and interview process, Ryan Poles got his big fish. Chicago secured Ben Johnson, the architect of Detroit’s league-best offense, as their new head coach. They’ve since assembled an excited new staff and await the scouting combine with plenty of possibilities in front of them. If things work out as hoped, Poles choosing to stay rather than finding the exit door may end up becoming a key moment in Bears history.
