Bear Digest

Ryan Poles offers sneak peek into Chicago Bears head coaching search

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles broke down the team's head coaching search at Tuesday's press conference and confirmed he's the man in charge of the process.

Pete Martuneac

Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
In this story:

In his end-of-year press conference, Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles explained how he will handle the hiring process for the next head coach. Simply put, Poles is in charge.

Poles won't conduct the search alone, however. A panel of Bears officials will be involved: Poles, Kevin Warren, and George McCaskey. The search team will also include Matt Feinstein, Chicago's director of football administration. Poles mentioned his assistant GM, Ian Cunningham, saying that he is allowing Cunningham the freedom to field interview requests for open GM positions around the league, but if nothing materializes for him, he will join that panel.

When asked what he's looking for in a new head coach, Poles said he wants a clear vision, a developmental mindset, really good game management, and a plan for quarterback development. That last part is arguably the biggest key to the Chicago Bears' success. Caleb Williams is the most talented quarterback in franchise history; they can't afford to mess this one up.

Caleb Williams
Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Poles had praise for Caleb Williams' rookie year

Poles also took time to praise his quarterback for his rookie successes. Specifically, he noted how impressed he was with Williams in two-minute drills and said it's a trait that wins championships.

Several times this year, Williams led the offense on a successful two-minute drill, only for chaos to snatch away a chance at victory. Whether it was an opponent's Hail Mary, a blocked field goal, or confusion about when to call a timeout, something strange always happened to rob the Bears of a successful comeback win. It wasn't until the last game of the season that Williams and the offense finally got to celebrate a win in the closing moments.

Updates on injuries

Poles opened his press conference with updates on injured Bears. He confirmed that Braxton Jones just got out of surgery on his ankle two days ago, and that Andrew Billings, who injured his pec earlier in the year, is recovering nicely and getting stronger. Jaylon Jones also underwent a shoulder operation.

As for players with concussions, Jaquan Brisker and Ryan Bates, Poles confirmed that they are getting back to normal and should be good to go for training camp.

Other notables

When asked if he'd received a contract extension, Poles declined to comment, saying he would never discuss it with the press. However, he did say that he would discuss it with head coach candidates in their interviews if asked. That will likely be an important part of the interview with top candidates like Ben Johnson. They'll want to know if their GM is a lame duck or if they're in for the long haul.

Finally, Poles said he understands the frustrations of fans. He said he was disappointed as well but not discouraged. Poles reiterated the need to add players who are not only talented but fit the culture they're trying to build inside Halas Hall.

—  Enjoy free coverage of the Bears from Chicago Bears on SI  —

More Chicago Bears News:

Published |Modified
Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

Home/News