Matt Eberflus is out. Everybody knows the Chicago Bears will have a new head coach by the end of next February at the latest. The bigger question has become whether GM would join that agenda or not. Team president Kevin Warren insisted Ryan Poles was secure as general manager and would lead the search for the next coach. It made sense. Previous GMs like Jim Finks and Ryan Pace got second cracks at finding one. He deserves the same courtesy, right? Apparently, not everybody inside Halas Hall agrees.
Based on the latest information leaking from the building, someone in there believes Poles deserves more blame for the team’s miserable 2024 season. He hired Eberflus despite clear indications the coach wasn’t in high demand. He signed Nate Davis despite warnings from multiple people about his character. Why does he get a pass for the team’s record? Well, it seems he might not. A source informed SM that research is quietly being done on potential replacements once the season is over.
There have been indications that Poles isn’t happy with the power dynamic in Halas Hall since Warren was hired last year. Initially he was allowed to answer to ownership directly. Now that privilege is gone. Some believe he may choose to “mutually part ways” with the organization to preserve his reputation. There is also the possibility some of the top head coaching candidates may not want to work with a GM who is clearly on the hot seat. Rather than settle for somebody else, the Bears would consider removing Poles and lining said coaches up with a general manager they’re more comfortable with.
This idea is hardly unprecedented. San Francisco, Seattle, and Buffalo have all done something similar in recent years, and the results have been positive on all three occasions. If the Chicago Bears want to land one of the big fish like Ben Johnson or Mike Vrabel, it sounds like Poles may need to be sacrificed. In such an event, they must know more about the potential candidates to replace him. A month remains in the 2024 season. If a change is coming, they should be well-prepared by then.
