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General manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears looks on before the game against the New England Patriots at Soldier Field on November 10, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have begun searching for their next head football coach, but they have no intention of replacing Ryan Poles as the team’s general manager.
Bears team president Kevin Warren spoke to media on December 2 about the team’s decision to fire head coach Matt Eberflus following its 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and detailed what the team is seeking in its next head football coach.
Warren also expressed a firm vote of confidence in Poles, saying he trusts Pole to lead the search for the next coach and serve as the “point person” during the hiring process.
“Ryan Poles is the general manager of the Chicago Bears, and he will remain the general manager of the Chicago Bears,” Warren said Monday. “Ryan is young, he’s talented, he’s bright, he’s hard-working. He has done everything in his power on a daily basis to bring a winner to Chicago, and I’m confident in Ryan. My faith remains strong in Ryan.
“And as the leader of our football operations department, and as our general manager, Ryan Pole will serve as the point person on our coach, for our upcoming search for a permanent head coach.”
Poles will now receive a second chance to hire a winning coach for the Bears, but it is unclear exactly how much oversight Warren will have over the decision or whether the team’s ownership will create obstacles during the process, such as limiting how much they are willing to spend on their next head coach. And while his job is safe for now, Poles’ long-term security as general manager will largely hinge on his next HC hire.
Good thing Warren believes it will be the “most coveted” job on the market in 2025.
Ryan Poles Failed With Matt Eberflus, But He Can Fix It
Poles hired Eberflus as the 17th head coach of the Chicago Bears on January 27, 2022, but it would be difficult to describe his 34 months in charge as anything but a failure.
Eberflus never posted a winning season during his tenure with the Bears, finishing with a 14-32 record and a dreadful 5-19 record in one-score games. Under his guidance, the team experienced losing streaks of 14 games (2022 into 2023) and six games, the latter of which is still ongoing. He also never seemed to correct his game-management issues, which cost the Bears multiple wins during the 2024 season and led to his dismissal.
What reflects most poorly on Poles is his inability to recognize Eberflus’ shortcomings during the 2024 offseason. Critics shouted — and pleaded — for him to replace Eberflus and find a new head coach who could help guide No. 1 pick Caleb Williams during his rookie season, but he committed to Eberflus and effectively made the same mistake as his predecessor, Ryan Pace: saddling his rookie quarterback with a lame-duck coach.
Fortunately for Poles, he can fix things with the right hire. Eberflus’ abysmal record will remain part of his checkered past, but fans will forget quickly if he brings in someone who not only elevates Williams’ game but also gets the team back to its winning ways. He should have a list of strong candidates to consider, too, including Ben Johnson, Joe Brady, Liam Coen and current interim coach Thomas Brown, among several others.
Kevin Warren Believes QB Caleb Williams is ‘Special’
How the Bears conduct their hiring process will be intriguing to watch. While Warren has said Poles is the decision-maker in terms of their next head coach, it seems unlikely that Warren will remain entirely passive through the process and not offer his input.
The good thing is both Poles and Warren seem to be in lockstep about Williams, who has struggled at times during his rookie season but shown plenty else that indicates he can develop into a formidable starting quarterback in the NFL — with the right coach. During Monday’s presser, Warren made his feelings about Williams crystal clear.
“We have a quarterback in Caleb Williams, who has shown he is very special,” Warren said. “And in the right environment, he can become even more special.”
