INDIANAPOLIS — Bears general manager Ryan Poles said Tuesday “it’s hard to sleep” because of all the options he’s considering this offseason, but it doesn’t appear he’s up all night debating whether to trade quarterback Justin Fields.
While Poles once again left open the possibility that he could be “blown away” by a quarterback in the draft, where the Bears have the No. 1 pick, he reiterated that Fields is “the plan right now” for next season.
Poles painted an ideal scenario of trading back to accumulate assets but still landing a “blue” player, which is his color code for elite talent. One widespread expectation is that the Bears could trade back to fourth in a deal with the Colts.
After going 3-14, the second-worst record in franchise history, the Bears have the top pick in the draft for the first time since 1947.
The Bears didn’t have a first-round pick in Poles’ first draft last year because his predecessor Ryan Pace traded it to the Giants in 2021 to move up and take Fields. They also didn’t have one in 2019 or ‘20 because of the Khalil Mack trade.