The Chicago Bears are in the midst of an undeniably active and potentially historic offseason, which could eventually be the impetus for a full-blown franchise revival. Not every one of general manager Ryan Poles' moves have been met with universal praise, but he is visibly working towards building a winning football culture in The Second City.
The culmination of his and the organization's plan is selecting Caleb Williams in the 2024 NFL Draft and molding him into a top-tier professional quarterback. Although the consensus No. 1 overall pick ostensibly checks off most of the boxes to be a successful modern-day QB, it obviously remains to be seen how he will handle the massive transition.
Robert Griffin III has big concerns about the Bears, however. The 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowler ardently believes the current Chicago model is not beneficial for Williams and thinks the fellow Heisman Trophy winner should use his leverage to avoid landing there this April. He sees the Washington Commanders as a better fit and suggested that Williams “pulls an Eli Manning.”
Manning's refusal to go to the then-San Diego Chargers ultimately resulted in him winning two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. But the Bears have noticeably upgraded their roster. Perhaps the former USC star can be a central component of a new era in Chicago.
Ryan Poles is not happy with Griffin's remarks, expressing his annoyance with the criticisms while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show.
Bears' Ryan Poles feels that people are clinging to the past
“It pisses me off a little bit to be honest with you because we were hired to break a cycle,” Poles said in response to Griffin's comments from March 18. “The same thing when I was in Kansas City (worked in Chiefs' scouting and player personnel departments). Coach {Andy} Reid, all of us were brought there to break a cycle and we did…I really believe we're about to break this cycle and get this city in a really good situation.”
The Bears have had a perceived culture problem for many years, which is why someone who helped build the NFL's most recent dynasty would presumably be coveted. Robert Griffin III made sure to compliment the young GM for most of his moves, including the Keenan Allen acquisition, but he is thoroughly unimpressed by the haul he received in exchange for quarterback Justin Fields (a conditional 2025 sixth-rounder).
You heard what he said 😂😂
"We were hired to break a cycle and I really believe that we're about to do that..
We're gonna get the city of Chicago in a really good situation" ~ Ryan Poles #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/wSJb0X0Vzn
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 26, 2024
Griffin believes the Bears squandered Fields' potential with poor decision-making and is using the trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers as evidence that the team has not learned from its past. Moreover, he thinks that Caleb Williams deserves to start with a new head coach, not one who might be fighting for his job during the 22-year-old's rookie campaign.
Poles is undeniably earning some good will, however, and cannot be lumped in with Chicago's previous ineptitude. “The past is the past,” he said. “I don't worry about that at all. It's about where we're going.”
Can Caleb Williams deliver the Bears to sustained success?
A late-season surge last year, along with a definite spike in fan excitement, suggests that change is taking shape. The forthcoming arrival of Williams might be the last major addition the Bears need in order to soar back into relevancy.
Ryan Poles' long-term legacy in Chicago is going to be tied to this choice. If Fields fully breaks out in Pittsburgh or somewhere else and Williams flops, the executive will incur the wrath of an increasingly impatient fan base and could eventually lose his job. Such a hypothetical scenario is not worth pondering until the team's new signal-caller takes the field.
Griffin and other doubters do not seem interested in letting things play out, however. Trading up for Mitch Trubisky, among other moves, has made the Bears synonymous with dysfunction. Retaining a defensive-minded head coach in Matt Eberflus with a young QB on the way is admittedly another gamble that threatens to keep that reputation intact.
But Poles has a clear vision in mind. And that is the first step in crafting a blueprint for prosperity.
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