Bear Digest

Another GM's contract extended and still nothing for Ryan Poles

A second member of the GM class of 2022 has been given an extension but the Bears have given Ryan Poles nothing except compliments.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ryan Poles has seen two GMs from the 2022 class of hirings extended this summer without getting on himself.
Ryan Poles has seen two GMs from the 2022 class of hirings extended this summer without getting on himself. | Photo: Chicago Bears video

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The Bears interviewed Omar Khan for their vacant general manager position in 2022 but decided on Ryan Poles.

Khan, meanwhile, got promoted to Pittsburgh Steelers GM and three winning seasons with two playoff berths later, Khan has been given a contract extension by the Steelers.


It was just a little over a month ago, right after Memorial Day, when Minnesota extended GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah following two playoff berths in three years.

Adofo-Mensah is also a member of the 2022 class of GM hirings.

Meanwhile Poles still waits for an extension, with the Bears owning a 14-36 record and no playoff berths for three losing seasons.

One was rumored to be on its way after Poles hired his second head coach, but nothing has happened.

Poles did need to gut the roster first in order to bring it out of the salary cap hell where former GM Ryan Pace had left it.

However, his record of signing free agents hadn't been exemplary until this year's offensive line moves. His drafts haven't yielded a Pro Bowl player.

However, the main obstacle to the Bears winning has been both quarterback and head coach. Poles has obviously been the one bringing in those players. 

QB Caleb Williams has had only one season after the team gave up on Justin Fields. Coach Matt Eberflus bombed out in three seasons, still with a an unused timeout in his back pocket from his final game in Detroit.

So it's worth wondering if the Bears are going to get on this or it's not going to end well for Poles.

For what it's worth, Poles received a glowing review from team president Kevin Warren after the hiring of coach Ben Johnson.

"Ryan is incredibly, incredibly bright," Warren said. "He's curious, he's hard-working. And he has a support system around him. And so what I just try to do is to make sure I'm there. We talk every day but I'm there as a resource. I challenge the thought process just to make sure that it's been pressure-tested. But I'm there not in a judgmental manner but in a very positive manner for both coach and Ryan.

"I just feel that we're in a really good direction. This is going to be a really good year and to have it be in the 40th anniversary of the 85 bears is special."

Yet, Poles remains like Giants GM Joe Schoen, another member of the Class of 2022 GM hirings. Both haven't been extended. Another member of that class, David Ziegler with the Raiders, was fired after a year.

With Adofo-Mensah extended just after Memorial Day and Khan extended the Fourth of July, perhaps the Bears will decide Poles' time for his contract extension has come on Labor Day as the 2025 season is about to begin.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.