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Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles named an early winner in 2025 NFL free agency

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was one of the busiest GMs in the NFL on Day 1 of 2025 NFL free agency, and his moves are receiving praise across the league.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is a man of his word.

Poles promised Bears fans that he would do whatever it took to upgrade the team's offensive line, and he's done just that. Whether through trades or big free-agent contracts, Poles has completely rebuilt the starting five charged with protecting second-year quarterback Caleb Williams in 2025.

In the span of roughly one week, Chicago has a new center (Drew Dalman) and two new guards (Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson), all of whom are viewed as high-caliber players, both on and off the field.

Thuney is especially well-regarded. The two-time All-Pro is on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory.

But Poles hasn't limited his upgrades to just the offensive line. He's invested heavily into the defensive trenches as well by adding Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo on the first day of 2025 free agency.

As a result, Ryan Poles was named one of NFL.com's early free agency winners.

Chicago Bears new head coach Ben Johnson (right) with general manager Ryan Poles pose for photos after a press conference
\ | David Banks-Imagn Images

"The Chicago Bears general manager has spent the last three years trying to build this team into a contender," Jefferi Chadiha wrote. "This is the offseason when he faces the most pressure to make that happen. The Bears flopped in their first season with 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams operating as the starting quarterback, partly because they surrendered a league-high 68 sacks.

"Poles responded to that by aggressively rebuilding the interior of his offensive line. He secured trades for Chiefs guard Joe Thuney and Rams guard Jonah Jackson while also signing center Drew Dalman to a deal on Monday that will make Dalman the second-highest paid player at his position."

Bears fans are used to Chicago being the darling of the NFL offseason in recent years, especially under Poles' watch. It began when he traded the 2023 first-overall pick for a bounty of draft selectios and wide receiver DJ Moore to the Carolina Panthers, which eventually turned into Caleb Williams at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft, and now, through trades and 2025 free agency, an army of veteran upgrades to the starting lineup.

At some point, this offseason success must flip into wins on the field. Perhaps Poles' roster moves were held back by the bumbling Matt Eberflus. That won't be the case anymore with Ben Johnson in place. Which means it's time for the Bears to go from offseason winners to playoff contenders in the regular season.

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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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