What do you get the NFL general manager who completely revamps his team’s offensive line, hires the best coaching candidate on the market and surrounds his former No. 1 overall pick with a bevy of weapons? A new contract, of course.
The Chicago Bears reportedly agreed to a contract extension with general manager Ryan Poles on Friday, according to multiple reports. The deal ensures Poles will remain with the franchise through the 2029 NFL season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
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The new contract also puts Poles and new head coach Ben Johnson on the same timeline. Johnson’s contract also takes him through the 2029 season.
Financial details of Poles’ new contract were not made available.
Poles was hired by the team in 2022. The Bears have yet to experience success during his tenure, going 15-36 in his first three seasons. While his record is poor, Poles was tasked with turning around a franchise in disarray. The wins haven’t come yet, but he has the team in a much better spot entering the 2025 NFL season. The Bears ranked 15th in Yahoo Sports’ offseason power rankings on the strength of Poles’ moves since the end of the 2024 NFL season.
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After rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked an NFL-leading 68 times last season, Poles completely overhauled the team’s offensive line, signing center Drew Dalman and trading for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. Poles also went out and hired the consensus best coaching candidate on the market in former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
While those moves should help the Bears win in 2025, they pale in comparison to Poles’ most impactful move since getting the job. That came in 2023, when he traded the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for wideout D.J. Moore and a bevy of picks.
The Panthers finished the 2023 season with the worst record in the NFL, giving the Bears the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which enabled them to take Williams. The Bears used the other draft picks acquired in the deal to bring in offensive lineman Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, punter Tory Taylor and wideout Luther Burden.
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Moore has elevated his game since joining the Bears. He gained a career-high 1,384 yards and scored a career-high eight touchdowns in 2023. That performance resulted in Moore signing a four-year, $110 million extension to remain with the team. Last season, he caught a career-high 98 passes, though saw his other numbers decline as the team’s offense struggled under former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus.
Despite the Bears’ recent struggles on the field, team ownership clearly believes in Poles’ vision. Not all of his moves have been wins — hiring Eberflus in the first place, trading for Chase Claypool, and technically the jury is still out on Williams — but Poles’ new deal will give him time to see his full vision for the team reach its apex.
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