There might not be a more divisive figure in Chicago sports right now than Ryan Poles. The Bears GM has been on the job for over three years now. To date, he doesn’t have much to show for it. His teams have one of the worst win-loss ratios in franchise history. Several of his decisions contributed to this mess, including hiring Matt Eberflus as head coach, trading for Chase Claypool, signing Nate Davis, and failing to address the trenches properly. Lots of fans were not happy hearing the news that the Bears chose to extend him before the season.
One person had a different perspective on it. Matt Forte is one of the greatest players in modern franchise history. He has kept tabs on the team for years, even after his retirement. He sat down to speak with Ryan Heckman of Fansided and was asked about Poles. His answer didn’t reflect the same feelings as others.
“Good for him. The Bears chose to extend him. I don’t think he’s done a terrible job. I think he’s done a decent job and he has room to grow as well, as a GM…
…As long as Ryan has good counsel around him, a good team around him, then they’re going to be good going forward…
…Having some humility in the room, where you’re able to listen to other perspectives of people … I’m looking to see improvement when it comes to, okay, who are we drafting and why, and are we filling positions of need, and are they going to contribute immediately?”
Forte doesn’t see an inept person completely unsuited for the job. He sees a young executive who has learned some harsh lessons about the job he took. Lessons that seem to have had an effect.
Forte’s assessment of Ryan Poles is dead on if you believe the rumors.
Tyler Dunne of Go Long released an exposé on the Bears’ GM before the season. It revealed that he had a reputation inside Halas Hall for not listening to the advice or opinions of others if they didn’t fit his narrative. That is what has led to misfires like Velus Jones, Zacch Pickens, and Kiran Amegadjie. He tends to focus too much on physical traits, not accounting enough for on-field production.
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That seemed to shift somewhat in the 2025 draft. Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, Ozzy Trapilo, and Kyle Monangai were all players who had considerable on-field success for their respective programs in college. All have made meaningful contributions early this season. Maybe this is a sign Ryan Poles has finally started listening to the people around him.
Or it’s just a sign Ben Johnson calls the shots now. Either way, Forte deserves credit for his level-headed assessment.