The Chicago Bears haven’t told anybody what they’re going to do over the next two months. That isn’t surprising. No self-respecting team would announce its plans to the world because doing so would make it easier for other NFL teams to counteract it. GM Ryan Poles won’t want anybody to know the game plan until it’s fully in action at the start of the league year next month. Well, he may have just had his hand tipped by his closest ally in the building. Team president Kevin Warren didn’t name names, but he sure revealed intent.
For those who didn’t notice, the Bears announced they will raise season ticket prices by 10% this coming year. They cited market direction and the excitement building around the arrival of new head coach Ben Johnson. However, he may have slipped up while describing the optimism over the coming off-season.
“As Coach Johnson stressed during his introductory press conference, we are committed to creating an environment of accountability, discipline, and hard work. We are building an organization that will embrace challenges and operate with a fearless, innovative, and championship mindset. Ryan Poles and Coach Johnson will be aggressive in free agency and will also embrace the opportunities to build our roster during the 2025 NFL Draft. We currently have eight total draft picks, including three picks in the top 41 selections.”
While the Bears have spent some money on free agency before under the Poles, nobody could say they were outright “aggressive.” It sounds like that is about to change with Johnson’s arrival and the team having close to $80 million in cap space.
Kevin Warren might be nudging Poles to do something.
This isn’t a surprise. The Bears president has said on many occasions that he hates losing. In his two years on the job, they’ve only won 12 total games. Poles has said he doesn’t want to become reliant on free agency, preferring to build through the draft. While that is a good line of thinking, the reality is he needs to start winning. Three straight years of losing has eroded any credibility Poles may have with fans. He was allowed to pick a new head coach even though many felt he didn’t deserve the honor. If he tries pinching pennies after all of this, it will only enhance their frustration with him. Kevin Warren wanted to set the tone by indicating the Bears have every intention of going after serious help next month. They have the money. It’s time to spend some of it.
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