Kevin Warren stated the plan moving forward was for GM Ryan Poles to spearhead the search for the next head coach. However, nothing about the man’s demeanor in that press conference expressed optimism and confidence in the future. Poles just looked defeated. Maybe he was still struggling with the decision to fire Matt Eberflus before the end of the season. He does tend to get emotional with such moves. Still, many began to speculate the GM was on shaky ground inside Halas Hall.
The news coming out over the past two weeks has only begun to reinforce that notion. It started with the revelation that Poles was never comfortable with the Warren hire, feeling it cut off his promised communication with ownership. Then, the big hits came out. A report by Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune revealed Poles hired Eberflus despite information that the defensive coordinator was about to get fired. Not only that, but he also failed to heed in-house warnings about certain roster moves, such as that of Nate Davis.
To those in attendance and many around the league who watched, Poles — who declined the Tribune’s request to be interviewed for this story — appeared defeated, maybe even embarrassed. His demeanor matched the mood of an unrelenting surge of failure that has seen the Bears go without a victory since Oct. 13.
Within league circles, some wonder whether a full reboot still may be considered in the coming weeks, particularly with the stakes of the coaching search the Bears are embarking on.
“You can’t just blow past the discussion on culpability,” one league source said last week. “And you’re not going to convince many people that Eberflus was the sole problem inside that building. So what is Poles’ culpability in all of this? Someone needs to get to the bottom of that and explain it in full. His record is identical to (Eberflus’).”
As 2014 wound down, reports out of San Francisco began surfacing that there was a serious disconnect between Harbaugh and 49ers management. News pieces indicated the head coach was responsible for many locker room issues. Most expected him to get fired, especially after vetoing an attempted trade to Cleveland. In the end, the two sides pulled the classic Jimmy Johnson move, “mutually” deciding to part ways. Unless the momentum shifts in the next few weeks, that feels like the fate awaiting Poles.
He clearly doesn’t seem happy in his position anymore. His handpicked coach was a disaster. The roster is still deeply flawed in certain areas. The power structure has shifted to Warren, who had no say in his hiring as GM. Rather than risk shattering his reputation further, Ryan Poles may look to step down in hopes of preserving his credibility. Chicago will start fresh at both GM and head coach, hopefully aligning the two for the first time in years. An unfortunate outcome, but perhaps the best for all parties.
