Ryan Poles’ Stunning Ben Johnson Quote Proves The Bears Are Playing The Long Game

The Chicago Bears were so close to the NFC Championship last season. One unfortunate pass separated them from being on the doorstep to the Super Bowl. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Still, the season confirmed that the Bears were capable of being in that position for the first time in years. To many, it was tantamount to a green light for them to come out swinging in the offseason. With Caleb Williams still on his rookie contract. That meant general manager Ryan Poles should do everything in his power to fortify the roster for a serious run.

Ultimately, it didn’t happen. The Bears approached the offseason with a more disciplined style. They got their salary cap in order, traded or released some of their more expensive players, made only one big free agent signing, and finished with a straightforward draft. No big swings to be found. Fans were upset. The window is open. This team should be going for it. Poles didn’t apologize for the approach. During an interview on SiriusXM Radio with Jeff Joniak, he stated that the decisions were in line with head coach Ben Johnson’s vision for the team.

“He just wants to be great. He wants a championship. Whatever we’re going to do is driven by that. He wants perfection. He wants to create a team, a dynasty, something that’s going to sustain for a long time. His standards are so high. And that’s why the pairing between the two of us is so good. Like we’re not doing things just to be a good football team. We’re not doing things to have a good season. We’re doing things to be a championship-caliber team for a very long time. We want to change this whole organization and take it to a level that it’s never been before.”

Ryan Poles won’t deviate from the original plan.

He has always said that his primary goal is to make the Bears a sustainable winner. He won’t operate with a short-term mindset, trying to get one or two quick bites at the apple before fading back into mediocrity. It’s almost impossible to win championships that way. You’ll notice that the teams that have done so over the years have often been able to make the playoffs with regularity like Kansas City, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Los Angeles. It isn’t a coincidence that Chicago’s only championship in the Super Bowl era came during a period of sustained success in the 1980s. Having Johnson arrive with the exact same thought process only made the GM dig his heels in even more.

This is a team that says it believes in drafting and developing. The key difference is that they actually stick to that plan. Previous regimes quickly started making aggressive moves when they felt the pressure to win creeping in. Ryan Pace traded for Khalil Mack after his third season had produced a third straight losing record. Jerry Angelo traded for Jay Cutler and then signed Julius Peppers. Both instances saw the Bears make the playoffs, but what it cost the team ultimately hurt more in the long run.

Johnson is betting on himself and his coaches.

The key to this strategy working is having a coaching staff that understands how to develop players. That means teaching them how to be professionals. Contrary to popular myth, not all coaches are good at that. This is why certain teams are forced to lean on acquiring older players. They’re more polished and familiar with the pro level. The problem is that their window of top-tier play is also much shorter. That is why leaning on free agents almost never works. You must be able to draft and mold your own players.

Ryan Poles believes Johnson can do it. We already saw examples last season with the rise of Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Kyle Monangai. If the Bears can get similar results from their 2026 draft class, this team is about to become a legitimate force in the NFC. Better still, they have enough resources to maintain themselves well into the future. Several big contracts are becoming offloadable while they have all of their high draft choices for next year.