Bears general manager Ryan Poles is not one of those smug authority figures who thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room, has all the answers and bristles at any suggestion he’s doing something wrong.
At 36, he’s unpolished, but also confident, resolute, sincere and as humble as a rookie GM for a founding NFL franchise should be. So far, he looks the part — a young, forward-thinking guy who grew up in the trenches, learned well during his 13 years in the Chiefs School of Management and has a good grasp of 21st-century athletes, technology and culture. Most of all the athletes — what makes them tick and how they need to be managed. Let’s put it this way: If he gets the quarterback right, he’ll be a success.
There’s the rub, of course. He has to get the quarterback right. Poles had a head start on succeeding where others failed by inheriting Justin Fields — a potential franchise quarterback who more than just the Bears were in love with when he was drafted 11th overall by Ryan Pace in 2021.
But as he re-built the Bears in the offseason, Poles was criticized for undercutting that initial advantage by failing to give Fields the support he needed. Poles’ first two draft picks were defensive players — cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker. His offensive help in free agency was modest at best — center Lucas Patrick (two years, $8 million) and wide receiver Byron Pringle (one year, $4.125 million).
Entering training camp, the Bears were either nondescript, unproven or in flux at every position group but running back. So the criticism still stands. If Fields falters and another quarterback search is on in 2023, Poles will be accused of setting him up to fail in a defining season.
Poles, of course, doesn’t see it that way. He set this up by design, not neglect.
“When we’re building this thing, the goal coming in is [to] try and surround him with the best talent that we can,” Poles said. “But at the same time, I’ve never gotten away from [the idea that] we have to build the entire roster.
“I’m not going to overreach and do things crazy to get a name or anything,” Poles said. “Our approach has been consistent from the draft all the way through. We’re going to continue to add talent all around, the best we can. It might not be the name that everyone wants to hear. But we’re going to develop the players that we have here.”
But all you have to do is point to the wide receiver room to see why there’s doubt. Mooney is a potential star, but behind him are Equanimeous St. Brown, Dante Pettis, rookie Velus Jones and waiver pick-up Ihmir Smith-Marsette, with Pringle injured.
“We’re going to continue to fight to make that the best unit that we can,” Poles said. “Mooney is balling right now. I’m excited for him. That’s going to help Justin. I’m excited about Cole. I think our protections and our [offensive] line’s gotten better. I’m excited about Velus coming in and making plays and being a factor that can do different things and bring speed.
“I understand that to do it all right away, that’s hard to do with some of the resources that you have. So over time, we’re going to continue to do that. That’s always in our head is to put our quarterback in the best situation.”
You can argue that now was the time to put all those resources toward offense, to give Fields the best chance to succeed in a critical year of his development. It’s an early test for Poles, with a lot at stake. It’s a little early for his Trubisky moment. But for any general manager at any time, getting the quarterback right is a daunting — and often defining — task.
