The Chicago Bears announced they were giving GM Ryan Poles a contract extension last month. It was a significant left turn from how things started in January, when some felt he might get fired after a 15-36 record in his first three years. Still, the logic was easy to see. It appeared he’d develop a good relationship with head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears wanted to ensure both men were lined up on the contract front. On the surface, it appeared as if the power structure the organization had always operated with was back in place.
That assumption might be a mistake.
Over the past few months, whispers have surfaced that something is different about the Bears. They haven’t operated in the same way as in previous years, and the players they acquired didn’t fit the usual mold Poles seemed to prefer. This led to speculation that there had been a shift in the power dynamic behind the scenes. Apparently, people inside Halas Hall can sense it, too. Poles might not be calling the shots anymore. Tyler Dunne of Go Long provided some confirmation.
Sources inside the building believe Johnson is already pulling the personnel strings and are encouraged by King’s growing voice. Chicago drafted Loveland 10th overall despite Poles signing another tight end (Cole Kmet) a four-year, $50 million deal. Years past, scouts do not believe the Bears would’ve ever touched a prospect with such glaring character concerns as Luther Burden. Let alone 39th overall.
Ryan Poles has only himself to blame for this.
Everything can be traced back to his decisions over the past three years. It started with hiring Matt Eberflus as head coach in 2022 after refusing to do a more in-depth search upon arrival. Then it was various missteps over the next couple of years: the Chase Claypool trade, signing Nate Davis, passing on C.J. Stroud, and retaining Eberflus despite obvious plans to draft a new quarterback last year. Those blunders led him to make a tough decision. Either he loses his job or sacrifices some of his power to bring in the best possible head coach. He chose the latter.
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Now, it appears Ben Johnson is the first head coach in over 30 years to have majority personnel power in the organization. The last was Dave Wannstedt in 1993. It only lasted a year before he was stripped of it. After that, GMs always had primary control of the roster. Not anymore. In a desperate attempt to stop this franchise’s endless tailspin for 20 years, the Bears gave the best coaching candidate in years the keys. Ryan Poles let it happen.