When the Chicago Bears traded for Joe Thuney, it caught general manager Ryan Poles by surprise. Although the trade was a done deal, Poles didn’t think it would happen with the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I thought it was going to get turned down, to be honest with you,” Poles said via Adam Jahns of The Athletic.
That trade sparked the beginning of a fruitful and productive offseason for Chicago. They re-signed players, they managed to trade for more stars, and made the roster more complete. Since taking over the job, Poles has had his hands full.
He managed to fire both head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and put Ben Johnson as the head coach. Not to mention, Poles specifically wanted to challenge Bears quarterback, Caleb Williams.
The latter, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, had a rocky start to the campaign. Now, with some more consistency around him, Williams and the team can thrive.
Ryan Poles sees hope for the Bears’ future after Chiefs trade
There was one statistic that was one the Bears wanted to forget. Williams was sacked seven times in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. That was a microcosm of the offensive line woes that season.
The franchise quarterback was sacked 68 times, the most amount in the NFL. It sparked some necessary moves for the Bears.
One of those was addressing the offensive line. After the Kansas City Chiefs lost the Super Bowl, many thought they were wanting to run it back.
While they might, Chicago snagged Thuney from Kansas City for nearly pennies on the dollar. Securing an all-pro offensive lineman is a must, and one that the Bears managed to do with efficiency.
Still, the general manager gives credit to the front office for how everything has transpired.
“I love our group,” Poles said. “Everyone’s able to think and come up with creative solutions to find a way and find a path to improve the team. And that’s just a really good example on both sides.”
Although the offseason moves have been fruitful, it won’t matter unless there are some W’s in that respective column. Following a 5-win season in 2024, under Ben Johnson, the Bears hope to secure a playoff spot.
Even in a jammed NFC North, they might have a chance to sneak in. If that’s the case, then the fanbase and the organization will have Poles to thank for the rapid turnaround.
He turned Chicago from a nondesirable destination to a marquee spot for top free agents and players across the NFL.
