The Chicago Bears haven’t been making the news for the right reasons lately. After such a promising start to the season at 4-2, they’ve collapsed to 4-5 with the offense dropping off a cliff. Shane Waldron was fired as offensive coordinator after only nine games. Multiple players have offered thinly veiled hints that head coach Matt Eberflus is losing the locker room. Amidst the carnage of the past several days, one name has been conspicuously absent. That is GM Ryan Poles.
Don’t forget that over the past two years, the man developed a habit of addressing the media whenever the team ran into crises. He never seemed afraid to face challenges head-on. Yet now, when the team is facing a firestorm of issues, Poles is nowhere to be found. Why? Some theorize he is trying to distance himself from Eberflus in an effort to avoid losing his job. Ryan Pace did the same thing with John Fox in 2017. However, a source informed SM it was something a bit different.
Poles’ authority has been frozen. He will not make any major organizational decisions for the rest of the season. Only minor ones. This is why the Bears didn’t make notable moves at the trade deadline and his media appearances have been scaled back.
Nobody disputes he’s made a lot of positive moves to build a good roster since taking over in 2022. He added Kyler Gordon, D.J. Moore, Gervon Dexter, Montez Sweat, T.J. Edwards, Darnell Wright, and Rome Odunze. Caleb Williams looks like a promising option at quarterback. Unfortunately, Poles has also made some high-profile blunders. He traded for Chase Claypool and signed Nate Davis to a big contract. Both proved catastrophic whiffs. His biggest, though, was hiring Eberflus, who has failed to prove he can build a competent offense and developed a reputation for choking away games.
When the mistakes begin to outnumber the successes, it doesn’t look good for a GM. Let’s not forget that Ryan Poles failed to retool an offensive line that had problems going back several years. The Bears aren’t sure where he sits. His future is very much in question. It likely hinges on how the final eight games of the season unfold. If they go as poorly as the previous three have, he might be out the door alongside his coach.
