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As the Chicago Bears look to make one of the most important head coaching decisions in franchise history, general manager Ryan Poles appears to be the ‘point man' on their search, per Ian Rapoport on X.
“Kevin Warren and Ryan Poles met with the media for the first time since the dramatic firing of Matt Eberflus on Friday of Thanksgiving week,” Rapoport said. “So, here's some specifics that we received. First of all, Poles is expected to remain the GM and is going to be a point man for this search for a new head coach. He's going to work hand-in-hand with Kevin Warren to help pick the new coach.”
From @NFLGameDay: A look at what we learned today regarding the #Bears HC search. pic.twitter.com/HsjpXasm1c
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 3, 2024
Now, as the team's general manager, some were confused about why that had to be mentioned. With Warren coming out and saying Poles will be the team's ‘point man' on finding a new head coach, it gave reason to think he hasn't been in charge with previous head coaching decisions.
In fairness to Poles, the Bears hired him on Jan. 25, 2022, hiring Eberflus just two days later. So, the decision to bring Eberflus in as the team's head coach wasn't likely a decision he could've made entirely.
However, a decision that Poles was involved in was keeping Eberflus at the end of the 2023 season when the Bears were slated to draft Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick. Considering the question marks surrounding Eberflus at that time, some thought the Bears should've brought in a new head coach to pair with the rookie quarterback.
Maybe even Jim Harbaugh, who immediately turned the Los Angeles Chargers around in his first season with the team.
They decided against that, however, retaining Eberflus for the 2024 season. With this hire, the Bears look to involve their starting quarterback the whole time.
Ryan Poles, Bears focused on Caleb Williams' development with next head coach
As a defensive-minded head coach, Eberflus seemed like a poor fit for Williams from the start. However, the Bears have always been paired with the ideology of strong defensive play, so it wasn't too surprising to see them hire Eberflus originally.
Once their plans to draft Williams with the No. 1 pick became more concrete, the Bears could've pivoted from their current head coach, aiming at a more offensive-minded leader to help develop the rookie quarterback.
This time around, the Bears are expected to involve Williams in the team's search for a new coach, per Rapoport.
“This is all about Caleb Williams,” Rapoport said. “Everything they do is going to be, ‘Is this the best for the development of Caleb Williams?' Which might point [the Bears] in the direction of an offensive head coach.”
Many are pointing at Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the Bears' next head coach, as there was reported interest from him last offseason.
However, with the Bears deciding to stick with Eberflus over bringing in the offensive-minded Johnson, there could be a sour taste in his mouth this offseason.
