Can the Bears’ young decision-makers lead a breakthrough? The Athletic weighs in.

Depending on the dictionary, if you look up the phrase “much maligned,” you’ll see a picture of Ryan Poles.

Considering that during his regime, the Bears have posted a record of 15-36, it’s little surprise that Chicago’s GM has gotten a whole lot of fan flack on social media, most of which is exceedingly inelegant:

RYAN POLES SUCKS
— Gabe (@Pumpi91) November 26, 2024

RYAN POLES SUCKS
— David ☤ (@davo2times) January 26, 2025

Ryan poles sucks
— Aaron Reyes (@_Awake13_) December 17, 2024

The Athletic, conversely, is very much on Team Poles.

Three Out of 50 Ain’t Bad

In their list of the 50 most intriguing up-and-coming NFL front office and sideline figures who are under 40-years-old,Poles received raves galore, with writers Jourdan Rodrigue and Mike Jones saying, “Poles has remade the Bears’ roster thanks to a strong emphasis on building through the draft. He also has made some strategic trades and shrewd free-agent signings to meet the Bears’ need for veterans at key areas. Colleagues say Poles is a meticulous planner who encourages input, and is big on player and staff development. And, 'when it’s go-time, Poles executes and leads with decisiveness.'"

Social media probably isn’t on board with that assessment, but there you have it.

It’s All About the Benjamin

New Bears head coach Ben Johnson also made the list, with Rodrigue and Jones explaining, “[T]he former star Detroit Lions offensive coordinator is part of an ascending wave of head coaches such as Dan Campbell or Kevin O’Connell who are experts in certain areas like game strategy, quarterbacking and/or leadership but who can also apply a broader lens to their entire ecosystem. In fact, he seems a cross between the both of them.”

Fans and pundits alike are way more psyched about Johnson than they are with Poles.

"Ben Johnson has walked away from attractive job opportunities the last two years and declined to even interview with some teams this year. He chose the @ChicagoBears. That's the big takeaway here. You don't have to squint too hard to see it's a major win for this organization."… pic.twitter.com/iv0acy3UHY
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) January 21, 2025

One More…Maybe

Finally, Poles’ sidekick—who might not be at Halas Hall for much longer—snuck onto the list: “Ian Cunningham, who had a lead role in drafting quarterback Caleb Williams last spring and in hiring new head coach Ben Johnson, has been a finalist for multiple GM openings over the last two seasons because he is knowledgeable, experienced and well-rounded between football, scouting and analytics departments. He is a finalist for the Jaguars’ GM opening, with those interviews continuing.”

That’s a whole lot of thumbs up for the Bears’ still-wet-behind-the-ears decision-makers, and if they pan out as The Athletic expects, Bears Twitter will be a whole lot warmer and fuzzier come 2026.