If you said Ryan Poles might get fired after his second season as Chicago Bears GM, people would’ve laughed. Even Phil Emery got a third season, right? Well, there’s the problem. Thanks to Lovie Smith, Emery had the benefit of seeing his first year end 10-6. Once he started making sweeping changes, it all fell apart. Poles doesn’t have that same luxury. His team has won four games total since the beginning of 2022. That is bad. Worse than any other GM in Bears history.
This is why conversations have started about whether Poles deserves a third year or not. It isn’t open and shut in either direction. So let us review the most notable moments of his tenure, positive and negative, to see whose case is stronger.
Ryan Poles is teetering on a treacherous ledge.
Positives:
The D.J. Moore trade
This is by far the best move of Poles’ tenure. Not only did he land a star wide receiver in Moore, but he also set the Bears up with two potential top-5 picks in the 2024 draft. The Carolina Panthers have the worst record in the NFL at 0-6. Recent history says they’re almost a lock at this point to land at least the #3 overall pick. That puts Chicago in a terrific position to land either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye next April.
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T.J. Edwards signing
He didn’t get the big contract like Tremaine Edmunds, but Edwards has been the best player on defense for the Bears by a wide margin. He has 70 tackles and two sacks in six games already. He also helped force an interception against Minnesota. Poles got him for less than $7 million per year for the next three seasons. That is how you do free agency right.
Andrew Billings signing
People who watch the stat sheets will say Billings hasn’t done anything. Ignore them. He’s been a force in the middle for Chicago since he arrived. His presence has helped shape their top-10 run defense. At the same time, his surprising juice as a pass rusher pops up from time to time. That was supposedly never his game. The fact they got him for $2.69 million is an outright steal.
Darnell Wright selection
You can tell a lot about a GM’s competence from his first-ever pick in the 1st round. Thankfully, it looks like Ryan Poles did well on his opening swing. Darnell Wright has started every game at right tackle for the Bears. While there have been unsurprising hiccups, it’s pretty clear the guy has a bright future. He’s already a competent pass protector and has made massive strides as a run blocker in recent weeks.
Negatives:
Matt Eberflus hire
If any of his moves are likely to get him fired, it’s this one. Poles felt Eberflus would return the Bears to the days of Lovie Smith. Both employ the same defense and the same philosophies. Unfortunately, it appears Eberflus lacks the ability to keep players disciplined in big moments. He is now 4-19 as head coach. That is by far the worst winning percentage in modern Bears history. Poles can’t hide from that ugly truth.
Chase Claypool trade
When you give up the 32nd pick in a draft for a player that gave you ten games, 191 yards, and one touchdown? It is a catastrophic failure. There is no getting around it. Poles had the right idea trading for wide receiver help. However, his pro scouting department failed him in a big way. The GM ignored the warning signs about Claypool’s attitude problems, and now the receiver is already gone.
Failing to fix the pass rush
Chicago had 20 sacks in all of 2022. That was one of the worst showings a Bears pass rush has ever had. So far in 2023, they’re on pace for 25. That isn’t exactly a notable improvement. It’s worth mentioning five of the nine sacks they have came against Washington, who have allowed the most sacks in the NFL. That means the Bears have four sacks in their five other games. Poles deserves lots of blame for making this group so toothless.
Failing to address the center position
This was never discussed enough. Next to left tackle, center is probably the most important position on the offensive line. Yet the most Poles has invested in it over two off-seasons is a 6th round pick (Doug Kramer) and a low-level contract (Lucas Patrick). That problem has cost the Bears several times. Sunday against Minnesota was the most glaring, as constant snap issues threw the offense out of sync.
Conclusion:
The cold, hard truth is Ryan Poles doesn’t have much to hang his hat on right now. Only one of his big decisions as GM, the trade for D.J. Moore, has delivered good returns. The rest have blown up in his face to one degree or another. His head coach is flirting with the worst winning percentage in Bears history. Sticking with Justin Fields at quarterback while C.J. Stroud thrives in Houston isn’t a great look. Claypool was a disaster. The negative far outweighs the positive. His best hope is for some of the young players he’s drafted to show more progress over the final 11 games. If they do, it might convince ownership to give him more time with a new head coach and a quarterback of his choosing. Otherwise, he may be out too.
