The Chicago Bears made a significant move at the top of the coaching staff this offseason by hiring Ben Johnson, and the franchise just executed a similar play with general manager Ryan Poles.
Chicago extended Poles on a multiyear contract on Friday, July 11, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“ESPN sources: the Bears and general manager Ryan Poles have reached agreement on a contract extension that ties him to Chicago for the next five years, through the 2029 season,” Schefter posted to X. “Poles had two years remaining on his old deal, but now the Bears have him and new head coach Ben Johnson both under contract for a matching five seasons.”
Ryan Poles Has Lost Some Agency in Bears’ Decision-Making to Kevin Warren
GettyKevin Warren, president and CEO of the Chicago Bears.
Poles came on to run the Bears ahead of the 2022 campaign. He hired former head coach Matt Eberflus shortly afterward, who had spent the previous four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts.
The Eberflus era ended in tumult, as Poles and company fired him following Week 13 last season amidst a 10-game losing streak. Eberflus finished his run in Chicago with a record of 14-32. He will serve as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.
It isn’t uncommon for a general manager to outlast his first head coaching hire in the NFL, though the Bears did bring on Kevin Warren, former Big Ten commissioner (2020-23), as the franchise’s new president and CEO in 2023. Warren assumed a larger role in team decisions this offseason, both staff and personnel, stating publicly that he and Poles would select a new head coach together.
Johnson, the former offensive coordinator of the two-time defending NFC North division champion Detroit Lions, was the hottest candidate on the market. Chicago landed him, at least in part, because of the presence of second-year quarterback Caleb Williams on the roster and the promise he represents for the franchise’s future.
Ryan Poles’ Future Tied to Success of Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Poles is responsible for the home run trade that brought the team the pick that became Williams.
That deal with the Carolina Panthers also netted wide receivers DJ Moore and Luther Burden III (No. 39 overall), offensive tackle Darnell Wright (No. 10 overall), cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (No. 56 overall) and punter Tory Taylor (No. 122 overall).
Every one of those players is — and/or has been — a starter for Chicago over the past couple seasons, save for Burden who is a rookie and has yet to play in an NFL game. However, he is likely to win the job as the team’s starting slot receiver in 2025 if he can recover from an unspecified soft tissue injury that has plagued him this summer.
The Panthers got the No. 1 pick in 2023 in that deal, which they used to draft quarterback Bryce Young.
However, Poles is also responsible for a trade that swapped a second-round pick, which ended up the first overall selection in the second round in 2023, with the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool. He played a total of 10 games in Chicago, starting five of those, and amassed just 18 catches for 191 yards and one TD over that span.
Poles hasn’t been afraid to take big swings, and his new contract is a show of faith on behalf of the Bears. That said, Poles’ future is now inextricably linked to the success of Johnson and Williams as a coach-QB tandem, which probably needs to show dividends with relative immediacy in 2025 to keep the GM’s front office seat cool.
