More change is coming to Halas Hall as Ryan Poles will be looking for a new director of football analytics. Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Reported Bears analytics department change indicates shift

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Gene Chamberlain | Last updated Jan 16, 2025 11:11 AM ET

Another person from the 2022 start of the Matt Eberflus-Ryan Poles era departed Halas Hall, and it's at an ever-increasing important post in a supporting role.

The team parted ways with Krithi Chandrakasan, their director of football analytics, according to a report by Brad Biggs of the Tribune. Chandrakasan had been under football director of administration Matt Feinstein.

Chandrakasan had been with the Chiefs since 2019 prior to coming to Chicago, so this was a staff member very familiar to Poles prior to becoming Chicago GM.

The Bears use their analytics for more than just looking at what opponents' strategy might be or what their own options should be on given plays in games.

Well, considering the only evidence we have of the Bears’ analytics department is the “Analytics Cylinder” that spit out Velus and Claypool as the highest scoring Bears… I think we might be ok pic.twitter.com/eDlqNjwEhm
— Piano Emeritus (@PianoEmeritus) January 16, 2025

Last year during the draft, for instance, Poles mentioned how they had leaned on their analytics people. It especially became important when they were waiting and hoping they would be able to draft Rome Odunze ninth. Poles had thought about trading up to get him.

"Our analytics team puts percentage of kind of where guys are going to go," Poles said at the time. "So we really tapped into that and once we got to like seven, we started feeling pretty good that he might make it (to No. 9)."

Analytics told us Khalil Herbert was better than David Montgomery. There was like a 10 page thesis on it for bears twitter. Analytics has its place, but only if you’re properly understanding all the other variables within & using multiple data sources + actually u know, watching
— B (@BShulkes) November 28, 2024

They sat still at the urging of assistant GM Ian Cunningham and got Odunze based partly on what their numbers said.

Matt Eberflus was always citing the analytics of play situations, although it often seemed to be in negative situations. A classic one was when he decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the Bears 40 on the first series of the season against Green Bay. They failed to convert, the Packers went on to score a touchdown and were on their way to another win at Soldier Field.

“Analytics” somehow say this Bears OL is solid but I’m watching Larry Borom get whipped every play with my own eyes. Don’t let the nerds gas light you
— Milos Gasic (@MilosGasic) January 5, 2025

Analytics need to be used with actual on-field realities, including existing talent on the roster and in the starting lineup.

It's interesting how this change has occurred after the Bears started talking with numerous coaches from other teams.

It's possible they're hoping to expand their use of analytics. Poles has spoken often of using it more and more. The football administration staff has only a few people devoted to research and analytics.

The Vikings were a big surprise within the division this season and Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has long been known as an expert with analytics in all areas of operation.