The Chicago Bears believed they found the right man for the job in 2022 when they hired Ryan Poles as the new general manager. Fans had heard all of that before. They needed to see results. Over the subsequent three offseasons, Poles has put together one of the most dramatic roster overhauls in franchise history. Only six players remain from the Ryan Pace era. The team is stacked with a mix of veteran stars (D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Jaylon Johnson, and Montez Sweat) and promising youngsters (Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Darnell Wright, Braxton Jones, and Gervon Dexter). To top it off, he managed to land quarterback Caleb Williams, who many believe is a future superstar.
One would think this might garner at least some respect and notoriety from NFL agents, who have interacted with him regularly for almost three years. That doesn’t seem to be the case. Ben Standig of The Athletic spoke to several community members, asking about the GMs they like and respect the most. Poles wasn’t mentioned once, even as newcomers like Adam Peters and Eliot Wolf were. Not only that, but later comments suggest he might be propped up by assistant GM Ian Cunningham.
Ian Cunningham is a great talent evaluator. He’s fair with agents, not rigid. He comes off like he’s one of us, not some snob. Has an excellent demeanor for the top job.”
“Cunningham is so level-headed that he finds young evaluators and thinkers to build up his staff.”
First of all, Cunningham didn’t build the Bears’ new front office and scouting department. Poles did. He was the one who lured Cunningham to Chicago in the first place. So, suggesting he doesn’t know how to find quality talent evaluators is ludicrous. The fact he was able to erase the ugly divisions of the previous regime in such a short time speaks to his ability to communicate at every level of the organization. Chicago has a locker room culture that appears to be thriving. Players work hard and play harder.
Nobody questions that the Bears are a viable contender for this season’s playoffs. They have the talent, and after finishing last season 5-3 down the stretch, they also have momentum. They went 4-0 in the preseason, outscoring opponents by 68 points. Yes, the Bears still need to prove it in actual games this year. Still, what Ryan Poles has done in three off-seasons has rarely been accomplished by other organizations in four or five. Give the man his well-deserved credit.
