Bear Digest

If Ryan Poles wasn't to blame for 15-36 Bears record then who was?

Analysis: The Bears are either pinning all blame on Matt Eberflus or whoever decided he should stay in 2024 because there's no other explanation when Ryan Poles is given a new contract.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles have shown they can work together. How well we'll start to see in a few weeks.
Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles have shown they can work together. How well we'll start to see in a few weeks. | Photo: Chicago Bears video

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Chicago Bears

The only conclusions to be gathered from how the Bears have given Ryan Poles a contract extension is they really, really, really love Ben Johnson or else owner George McCaskey is feeling a ton of guilt right now.

Or perhaps both.

This must be the case because the Bears have gone out on a limb and given Poles a deal through the 2029 season even though this team has gone 15-36 during his time as GM.

If they were that bad on the field with talent Poles has acquired but it isn't his fault, there must be another reason they're losing. He also was the one who hired Matt Eberflus to coach them, then had to fire Eberflus, and it would seem with this extension they are pinning all blame for three miserable seasons on the former coach.

However, it was McCaskey and executive-for-hire Bill Polian who interviewed coaching candidates and handed their top three to Poles so he could choose between Dan Quinn, Matt Eberflus and Jim Caldwell. Poles chose Eberflus, the coach with the same agent he had, and the rest is losing history.

Perhaps this is McCaskey admitting they were the ones responsible for Eberflus as coach and not Poles—or possibly that he was responsible for talking Poles into keeping Eberflus after two losing seasons when they might have pursued Jim Harbaugh or even Ben Johnson.

With only 15 wins in three seasons to show for Poles' efforts, and without a single Pro Bowl player coming from the three draft classes he has who have actually played so far, there is no real reason to say Poles has been a success and deserves more time unless the powers that be feel they are actually responsible for what has happened since Poles came to Chicago.

Because, it sure hasn't been pretty the last three years. It hasn't looked like they are stocking a chest full of talent that's just waiting to explode onto the field with repeat titles. Apparently they feel Poles has done this, though and gave him the money.

Poles has initiated successful trades, like the one that gave them DJ Moore and picks to select Darnell Wright, Tyrique Stevenson, Caleb Williams and Luther Burden III. He brought in Montez Sweat, Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson via trades. But he also traded for Chase Claypool and Keenan Allen. 

They signed free agent successes like T.J. Edwards and Kevin Byard.

They have also drafted Velus Jones Jr. in Round 3, Zacch Pickens in Round 3 and made Tremaine Edmunds their most expensive free agent signing only to see him produce on a so-so level. Then there was the Nate Davis fiasco. Enough said about that one

Of course, no Bears tale is complete without quarterback failure. Caleb Williams hasn't had much chance to prove himself. He now apparently knows about watching film. He'll get chances for winning and watching film correctly this year with Johnson as coach.

But it still doesn't hide the fact Poles could have drafted C.J. Stroud or Jayden Daniels, and both won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year while his quarterbacks the last two years had a combined 83.82 passer rating. Meanwhile, Stroud's rookie rating was 100.8, Daniels' 100.1.

The Bears haven't drafted a Pro Bowl defensive tackle since Henry Melton in 2008 and haven't drafted an edge rusher who made the Pro Bowl for them since Richard "the Sack Man" Dent in 1983.

They had a good running back in David Montgomery and Poles didn't offer him enough to keep him from going to Detroit. He wanted to win, but Detroit hadn't won anything yet and cash talks. Now they need a good power back for Ben Johnson's attack. He's in Detroit.

They let Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith leave and then signed Edmunds for only $2 million a year less.

The list goes on and on. Every accomplishment Poles might have is countered by an N'Keal Harry trade, a Byron Pringle signing, or $10.4 million for Yannick Ngakoue and his four Bears sacks.

It's all enough to make you think perhaps they should have waited on this new GM contract until at least the bye in Week 4 to see that Johnson isn't ready to cut Williams and go with Tyson Bagent.

There was so little to go off of after the first year when the coaching was so bad that no one can be sure what they have in their QB.

What the Bears can be sure of now is they're locked in through 2029 with Poles and Johnson together. And if this doesn't work out they should clean house, starting with those who own the house.

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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.