Chicago Bears: Poles’ Moves Making An Impression Around The NFL

Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles came to town to change the losing narrative surrounding the team. It now appears that people around the NFL are noticing a change.

For the better part of four decades, the Chicago Bears have experienced so much losing. Sure, now and then they’d have a great season. However, at the end of most seasons they had a lot more losing seasons than winning ones.

Since 1990, the Chicago Bears have had just 11 seasons in which they finished over the .500 mark. They had four seasons right at .500 and the rest, 19 of them, finished with more losses than wins. They had just nine playoff appearances, going 5-9. In comparison, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been to the playoffs in each of his seven seasons in the NFL, winning 15 wins.

The Chicago Bears fans are growing frustrated with all of the losing. They are desperate to see winning football once again.

After the latest regime with Ryan Pace failed, Chicago Bears Chairman of the Board George McCaskey hired Ryan Poles. Poles was with the Chiefs when they started building the powerhouse team they currently have.

Now the Chicago Bears hired Poles to change the losing atmosphere that had its hold on the franchise. He had a front-row seat to the Chiefs’ rebuild and he wanted to do it on his own. He took on the challenge the Bears offered.

Poles has a plan and it starts to pay off

As Poles started his job as GM of the Chicago Bears, he had a vision of his rebuild. He stuck to the plan despite a lot of criticism. He took an axe to the roster, getting rid of popular veterans.

While players like Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks were fan favorites, they also had big contracts. He did not feel the Bears were close enough to contend for them to keep those veterans. He cut, traded, and let some walk via free agency. In their places, he signed little-known players to team-friendly contracts.

The result was a 3-14 2022 season. The Bears lost their final 10 games of the season. There was a method to Poles’ madness, however. Chicago finished with the number one pick of the 2023 draft. Additionally, with the short, economic deals he signed, the Chicago Bears had about $100 million in salary cap space, the most in the league.

Poles entered the offseason with a lot of assets. He then traded the number one pick to the Carolina Panthers. The deal was arguably the greatest trade in team history. In return for the pick, the Chicago Bears received what would be offensive tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, the number one pick in this year’s draft (which likely will become Caleb Williams), and also had D.J. Moore thrown in.

Wright and Stevenson had big rookie seasons and look to be key contributors for a while. Moore, already one of the better wide receivers in the league, had the best season of his career.

Oh, and let’s not forget that the Bears still have Carolina’s second-round pick in 2025.

With the big salary cap, Poles signed linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, and defensive tackle Andrew Billings. These were the three shining players for the team in 2023.

People around the league are taking notice

Now, in Year 3, it looks like things are falling into place for Poles. With the number one pick once again, he is ready to take the Chicago Bears to another level. Once again, he got rid of a popular veteran. He traded quarterback Justin Fields.

Poles is enamored with USC quarterback Caleb Williams and feels he could be a great professional. He is taking the big gamble to bring in a quarterback some feel could be a generational talent.

Poles is not just leaving it to chance, though. He revamped the offense, adding running back D’Andre Swift, and offensive linemen Ryan Bates, Coleman Shelton, and Matt Pryor. Additionally, he added tight end Gerald Everett and, the biggest piece, six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen.

Williams will enter the league in the best situation that any number one pick has had in recent memory. He has a high-powered offense and is set up to succeed. He has good, young veterans he can grow with as well as seasoned veterans who will help in his development.

Oh, and while in the process Poles finished with just four draft picks, Three of them are in the top 75. He will add even more talented players whether he trades the picks or keeps them. The Chicago Bears will be on the brink of acquiring an embarrassment of riches.

People around the league are now taking notice of what is happening in Chicago. The Chicago Bears are becoming the Cinderella team of 2024. We saw in the same NFC North division last season how the Detroit Lions took the nation by storm. The Bears could be the team in 2024.

Of course, some are still stuck with the same loser narrative. Fox Sports talk show host Joy Taylor still has doubts about Williams in Chicago because of the past.