Bears GM Ryan Poles: Matt Eberflus ‘got better with the pressure’
Bears GM Ryan Poles looks on before the Bears-Falcons game.
Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Bears general manager Ryan Poles praised coach Matt Eberflus’ handling of a rough two seasons but gave little detail about his future on the team’s official ESPN 1000 pregame show.
“You can go back to the original press conference [in January 2023] and things I was looking for,” he said in comments that aired Sunday. “One was leadership and mental toughness and the steady hand to really captain the ship when the seas are rough. And they got rough at certain times — certainly last year, early this year, there was some sudden change.
“He was steady at the wheel. He fought to get back above water and get things the way they were. His ability to adapt and adjust, really take input from the players, to get this thing on the right path was incredible. I think a lot of people would have been in really bad shape and crumbled to the pressure. He got better with the pressure, and so did our football team.”
Friday, president/CEO Kevin Warren praised the vibe around Halas Hall but was similarly vague about Eberflus’ future, saying the Bears would make a thorough evaluation at the end of the season. Eberflus has won four of five games entering Sunday’s rivalry game against the Packers.
“We will evaluate the coaching staff, the players, get a holistic look on where we are and how far we’ve come, and go from there,” Poles said. “Looking forward to that process. The goal is just to continue to get better.”
He said the Bears are in a “position of strength” at quarterback, between having Justin Fields and the No. 1 overall pick. He said the Bears will consider all their options.
“We’re in a good situation,” he said. “Our money situation is healthy. We have young talented players on our roster. And we have a ton of flexibility to continue to improve and add players.”
One thing Poles won’t do is pay attention to fan reaction. He said X, the app formerly known as Twitter, has been deleted from his phone until at least May.
“I love our fans, but I’m very little advice from [X],” he said.