Something strange is going on at Halas Hall. It feels like there is a power struggle happening behind the scenes. That seems somewhat odd after team president Kevin Warren insisted that he and GM Ryan Poles would co-lead the upcoming head coaching search. Poles would be the point man and have the final say per his authority over the football operations. However, people watching the two at that press conference couldn’t help but feel the GM looked like a man who had his privileges taken away.
Marc Silverman of Waddle & Silvy then added a new layer to the intrigue when he revealed on ESPN 1000 that Poles wasn’t happy with the Warren hire because it removed his direct line to ownership, dampening his power. Fear began to grow that this setup could marginalize him. Others insisted the report was false. However, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune released an explosive report on what’s happening at Halas Hall. In it, he confirmed that Poles is worried Warren will cut his knees out from under him.
Still, to some familiar with the inner workings at Halas Hall, the Warren-Poles union hasn’t been entirely harmonious over the past 20 months. While Poles has publicly and sincerely praised his boss’s guidance and input, he has privately worried, multiple sources said, that his power in the GM chair might slowly lose strength if Warren ever felt compelled to assert his authority.
A big part of why is its origins. Per usual, Bears ownership did everything out of order. If the team president was considered the highest office in the organization, the McCaskeys should’ve filled that job first. Instead, they hired Poles, who then hired Matt Eberflus. Warren didn’t arrive until January of the following year. Suddenly, the man with the most sway in the building had two guys under him, and he had no role in hiring. Anybody who has followed professional sports long enough could predict where this was likely headed.
If Eberflus and Poles didn’t win quickly, their chances of survival were slim. Now, Eberflus is already out. Kevin Warren may have insisted Poles is safe, but that doesn’t line up with the ongoing rumbling from Lake Forest. It seems more like the president was trying to play damage control. Insisted Poles was safe and would provide at least a mirage of stability. However, he may simply pull the trigger after the season. Warren would likely have public support for it if the Bears fail to win any of their remaining four games, which is possible.
An ice-cold move? Certainly. Yet that is what the NFL is: a business. Warren may have tried to make it work with Poles, but he doesn’t appear impressed with the GM’s work. It is hard to blame him.
