When he took over the Chicago Bears last year, Ryan Poles thought he understood the challenges of being an NFL general manager. It didn’t take long for the league to humble him in a big way. During an interview with Roman Harper and Charles Tillman on NFL Players: Second Acts, he was asked about what situation became his “Welcome to the NFL” moment. Every player and coach has them. For Matt Eberflus, it was probably his first game against Green Bay. For Justin Fields, it was that horrific start against Cleveland.
Poles is no different. He vividly remembers the moment he realized how tenuous the job of a GM can be. It stems from the unfortunate failure to sign defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi in free agency last year. The Bears felt they had a critical piece for their rebuilding defense. He had the talent and character they looked for. Everything was lined up. Then Ogunjobi failed his physical. Poles was left with a tough decision. He chose to back out of the deal. Ogunjobi was crushed, and Poles admitted his agent gave him an earful.
Some teams might overlook a failed physical to get the player they want. Poles wasn’t going to do that. It’s bad business. If he were to have pushed the deal through and Ogunjobi remained unhealthy, he would’ve saddled the Bears with a large contract they couldn’t escape. While the decision might hurt them in the short term, it was smarter in the long run. In some ways, he was proven correct. Ogunjobi signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he had only 1.5 sacks, a major regression from the seven he had in 2021.
If nothing else, it was a valuable lesson about the challenge ahead. Ryan Poles never wants to be accused of lying to players. That is why he delivered the news to Ogunjobi personally. The agent yelling at him wasn’t a surprise. It’s that person’s job to stand up for his client. Still, it was a humbling experience. Those lessons should prove valuable as he continues his quest to rebuild the Bears.
