Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has gone the way of his predecessor in that the only time fans hear from him is during the ESPN 1000 pre-game show.
As was the case with Ryan Pace, the Bears often control the tone of the pre-game interview, meaning there aren't many hard-hitting questions. While Poles was thrown curveballs during his pre-game interview for the Bears' game against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, the Bears' general manager talked himself into confirming a lie he told us during the summer.
That's a damning statement for Poles to make. It was Poles who was praising the depth of the Bears' offensive line during the pre-season.
"This is the deepest room I've ever been a part of.' So we have more versatility, more depth. Shoot, we have 10 guys, so I feel comfortable. Obviously, you want your starting five to be healthy and ready to go, but I feel more confident in the depth of our offensive line than I ever have before," Poles said.
The 2024 season has proved the exact opposite. The Bears used a fifth-round pick on Ryan Bates, who will finish his first season with the Bears with only three games played. Poles cut Nate Davis in-season following warnings not to sign him prior to the 2023 season. Poles' 2024 third-round pick, Kiran Amegadjie, has been proven to be far from ready to contribute at the NFL level.
The lack of the Bears' offensive line depth has been self-inflicted due to Poles ignoring the unit since he has taken over as the team's general manager.
As if the Poles' comments on the offensive line were maddening, this revelation about the team's slow starts during games will make him look even worse.
"Things not addressed" is becoming the theme of Poles' tenure. Poles speaks as if he is someone who deserves the benefit of the dount. The truth is that with each new comment, Poles is backing himself into a corner and providing more reasons for why he should not return after the season.
