This is the day Ryan Poles dreaded. The end of the Bears’ 2023 season, the beginning of his. The day that once the 00:00 appear on the game clock Sunday afternoon — win or lose — everything (say it twice), every move decided outside of the settlement of a new stadium will be his. All things that happen next for this franchise when it comes to what happens on the football field beginning next July, all on him.
Most NFL general managers live for this, they purposely sign up for it when they shake hands with team owners and presidents when they’re handed the keys. But this situation here and now is different. What Poles inherited and created, that led to what this offseason in the future will probably simply be labeled “The Prequel,” has to be one of the most unforgiving situations in the 103-year existence of this franchise. One that even if all other GMs spread across the NFL landscape hated Poles wouldn’t want for him.
