Bear Digest

Bears GM Ryan Poles confirms focused plan to fix massive need in 2025 NFL free agency

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles confirmed at the NFL Combine that he has a focused plan to fix this massive need on the team's roster.
Bryan Perez|
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The buzz surrounding the 2025 Chicago Bears, with new head coach Ben Johnson and second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, has given GM Ryan Poles a crucial resource: time.

However, that excitement, and the time it provides, will quickly fade if he doesn't take swift and decisive action to address the team's offensive line issues in free agency.

The urgency and anxiety among the fan base is already palpable after one headline: the Kansas City Chiefs' plan to apply the franchise tag to guard Trey Smith.

Smith's removal from the open market has fans worried that the 2025 Bears offensive line will be a refurbished version of 2024, a unit that allowed the most sacks in the league.

But if we're to take Poles at his word, that won't be the case. At least, it won't be for a lack of trying.

During a sitdown interview at the 2025 NFL Combine, Poles doubled down on his commitment to fixing the Chicago Bears' interior offensive line, going as far as to say he will push hard to get it right.

Sure, not having a chance to sign Trey Smith stings, but the Chicago Bears will have other quality options to upgrade the offensive line in free agency.

However, having free-agent options is one thing; actually signing them is another. This is where Poles must deliver on his promises. The Bears currently have the fifth-most salary cap space in the NFL, along with four picks in the top 72 of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The time has come for Ryan Poles to build an offensive line that the Chicago Bears can be proud of. If he doesn’t make it happen this offseason, he may not get another opportunity.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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