It’s not officially official just yet. But when the ink gets dry on the contracts, the Chicago Bears will install Ryan Poles as their new general manager.
Once he settles into his new role, Poles’ top task will be to hire a new head coach.
And when he makes the call, it will be his (and his alone):
George McCaskey is going to let his new football boss pick the head coach. Ryan Poles is not gonna be railroaded into an arranged marriage with the elder statesman, like Ryan Pace was with John Fox. If Poles wants Jim Caldwell, he will have chosen him. https://t.co/39TBTMfDw0
— M@ (@MattSpiegel670) January 25, 2022
Poles demanded it. https://t.co/ajZmmYVQaL
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) January 25, 2022
HECK. YES.
Matt Spiegel of 670 The Score (who mind you, was at the forefront of sharing buzz about the Bears making a GM hire before bringing in a coach) comes through with some more perspective. This time, underscoring that Bears Chairman George McCaskey is letting his new GM run the show when it comes to his coaching search.
Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog echoes those sentiments. And even though the Bears have second-interview candidates in line this week, it will be Poles being the point man and making decisions. No pre-arranged partnerships here. It’s all Poles.
Of course, this isn’t to say Poles won’t pick Jim Caldwell, Dan Quinn, or Matt Eberflus. Those three candidates have credentials worth exploring. It is possible that each of those coaches are on Poles’ short-list. Heck, there could be others. Poles could’ve had made his pitch to be GM by listing a bevy of coaches he was comfortable working with. Caldwell, Quinn, and Eberflus could very well be in consideration. But in the end, it will be Poles who hires the Bears’ next coach. Not McCaskey, who might be relegated to O’Hare pick-up duties after sealing the deal with Poles. And not Bill Polian, who was spearheading the committee that ultimately went with Poles over nearly a dozen candidates. But Poles, and only Poles. Full stop.
If that is how it goes down, then that sound you heard will be representative of the sighs of relief from fans thankful to avoid another pre-conceived union, like the Ryan Pace-John Fox tandem.
Ultimately, this speaks to good process from the top of the organization. I believe good process tends to yield good results. Now that the Bears are starting to make sound decisions, let’s keep it rolling and get to cracking on coaches. And let’s see if these processes can churn out something more than positive vibes.