Ryan Poles had a solid plan when he took over the Chicago Bears. It was straightforward and simple. He would tear down the roster, unload every expensive contract he could, acquire draft picks, and rebuild everything from the ground up. He’d focus on building through the draft, seeking players with high athletic profiles, great work ethics, and a passion for football. Most importantly, he’d try to do something no previous general manager had managed to do in the past half-century: find a franchise quarterback.
Poles allowed Justin Fields two years to show if he was worthy of that title while he focused on building up the roster around him. The young QB had some great flashes but never became an upper-tier passer. The Bears had passed on a QB in 2023 despite holding the #1 overall pick, a gamble Poles was criticized for. However, thanks to a blockbuster trade with Carolina, he managed to land the #1 pick in 2024. Unwilling to double down on Fields again, he traded the embattled starter to Pittsburgh and selected Caleb Williams of USC in April.
Looking back months later, Poles admitted to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times that he couldn’t believe his good fortune. He went so far as to use the g-word to describe his new quarterback and admitted the stars aligned for Chicago in ways that make him believe in fate.
He believes Williams is “a generational quarterback.”
He still occasionally lies awake at night, marveling at how everything clicked.
“I’ve always felt like with this job, there’s just something — I hate using the word ‘destined,’ but everything has worked out as I expected or better,” Poles said. “Like it was meant to be… I can’t make that stuff up.”
He praises them when deserved but rarely goes so far as to say they are budding stars, especially if they haven’t played a meaningful down yet in the NFL. For him to say Williams is a generational player this early should tell you everything about the young quarterback’s impact over the past few months. If you need further proof, he was just elected captain for the 2024 season. Williams is the first rookie at any position to receive that honor. Don’t forget the locker room votes on captains. Even head coach Matt Eberflus admitted surprise at the decision.
Nobody knows for sure what Williams will be in the NFL. Quarterbacks are harder to predict than any position in any sport. The Bears know this better than most teams. Ryan Poles was trained by some of the best, though. He learned from Scott Pioli, who helped draft Tom Brady. He learned from John Dorsey, who helped draft Aaron Rodgers. Last but not least, he learned from Andy Reid, who helped draft Donovan McNabb and, of course, Patrick Mahomes. One also must not forget Poles was teammates with Matt Ryan. He knew what to look for.
If Poles thinks Williams is generational, he’s not saying that to pump up the fans. He truly believes it.
