Report: Chicago Bears, GM Ryan Poles agree to five-year contract extension

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is staying put for the foreseeable future. The Bears and Poles have agreed to terms on a five-year extension through the 2029 season, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Poles, who replaced Ryan Pace as general manager ahead of the 2022 season, had two years remaining on his current deal. Now, he and new head coach Ben Johnson are both under contract for five seasons.

Poles, now 39, was the youngest general manager in the NFL at the time of his hiring. He’s made several bold moves since taking over, though Chicago has yet to have much success throughout his tenure. The Bears are 15-36 under Poles, and just 3-15 against NFC North opponents.

The biggest and most bold move Poles made came ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Poles traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the No. 9 overall pick, Carolina’s 2024 first and second-round selections, a 2025 second-round pick and receiver DJ Moore. Poles used the picks to select offensive tackle Darnell Wright, quarterback Caleb Williams, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and receiver Luther Burden III.

He’s also been active on the trade market, acquiring linebacker Montez Sweat, guard Joe Thuney and guard Jonah Jackson. The Bears, on paper, have both a bright present and future. But now, it needs to turn into wins on the field. Chicago clearly has faith in Poles that he can continue to make impact additions to the roster in future years.

Bears show faith in Ryan Poles with new extension

Beyond getting over the hump in the win/loss column, the priority has to be the development of Williams. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick had a mixed bag of a rookie season, where he was sacked more than any other quarterback in the league. So far, Johnson is pleased with what he’s seen from Williams this offseason.

“It’s been consistent throughout. He’s been very attentive. He’s been very detailed in terms of the meetings. Taking great notes, he’s asking excellent questions,” Johnson said last month. “The more we’re out on the grass together, we’re figuring out what we can put in the morning. And what we can execute later on in the afternoon.

“That’s been the fun part of it so far. For everybody, there’s a saturation level that we’ve got to find what that point is, so that as coaches we don’t ask too much out of any player over the course of the season.”