One would think the Chicago Bears shouldn’t have a problem luring head coach candidates to their organization. They have cap space, plenty of high draft picks, and a young quarterback who has flashed tons of potential. It is as close to an ideal situation as you can get. There is one big elephant in the room: Ryan Poles. The GM holds responsibility for the dysfunctional fiasco the team has become this season, and he has just one year left on his contract. This has led many to wonder if certain candidates wouldn’t be wild about taking the Bears’ job, knowing he’s still in charge. One such name is Ben Johnson.
It has been rumored for weeks that the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator would be selective with his interviews this cycle. That is a creative way of saying he’d prefer to go somewhere that allows him to bring a personnel guy he knows and trusts. Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado confirmed this when mentioning the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are expected to fire both head coach Doug Pederson and GM Trent Baalke. However, where it gets juicy is the added note that Johnson’s team is making this known publicly on purpose as a way to put pressure on the Bears to fire Poles.
He won’t tie his future to a GM he doesn’t know, trust, or have done anything to prove he can build a sustained winner. One can’t blame him for that. If this ends up being his only shot at coaching his own team, he’d instead do it with somebody who will understand his needs and preferences. Maybe that Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew. Perhaps it’s Saints assistant GM Jeff Ireland, or maybe it’s somebody else. The point remains the same. If the Bears want him, they will have to cut Poles loose.
That basically puts the ball in their court. Team president Kevin Warren said a few weeks ago that the plan was for Poles to stay and help lead the search. However, there have been whispers that plans could change if the coach he wants isn’t keen on working with the GM. It feels like so much of this decision rests with George McCaskey. He was the one who hired Poles. He has a bad tendency to stay loyal to his guys even if they’ve done little to earn it. If Ben Johnson is the guy Warren wants, it will take a strong sales pitch to McCaskey to make it happen.
