Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren vowed they would work together to turn around the Chicago Bears despite how they came together. Poles was hired as GM in 2022, where he was promised a direct line of communication to ownership. However, that changed when Warren was hired as team president, creating an obstacle to that line. Even so, nothing seemed amiss even after the team fired head coach Matt Eberflus last month. Warren insisted Poles would remain the GM and lead the search for a replacement.
However, some felt the air had changed. Poles looked defeated at the most recent press conference. Warren seemed like somebody who’d seized control and planned to keep it that way. It has led to constant speculation about whether this partnership was destined for separation. To know for sure, two pieces of information are necessary. First is Poles’ job security. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog confirmed widespread speculation that the Bears GM is far from safe, especially if the team’s desired coach is wary of working with him.
Hughes further confirmed the other piece of the puzzle. Despite what he may say publicly, Warren is throwing his weight around more than ever before.
If he’d managed to hire the right coach and put together a competitive roster, he likely would’ve had enough sway to avoid Warren’s power play. Unfortunately, his willingness to not only hire Eberflus but then double down on him this past off-season sealed his fate. While he may still have the support of George McCaskey and others inside Halas Hall, the goodwill he had with fans and the media has all but evaporated. Most want him gone due to the coaching fiasco and his negligence in the trenches.
Everything seems to hinge on the coaching search. At some point, a coach will emerge from the field as the guy Warren feels the organization has to have, be it Ben Johnson or somebody else. If said coach expresses reluctance about working with Ryan Poles, we have confirmation that the organization will move on from him. He must do everything in his power to sell himself as much as the organization for the next month.
