Bears Lock in GM Ryan Poles with Five-Year Extension Through 2029

The Chicago Bears extended general manager Ryan Poles' contract for five more years to align with the same timeline as new head coach Ben Johnson.

Bears Lock in GM Ryan Poles with Five-Year Extension Through 2029

Ryan Poles signs a five-year extension at Chicago (Image via IMAGO)

Many football pundits put Ryan Poles on the hot seat following consecutive tumultuous years as the general manager of the Chicago Bears. The Caleb Williams experiment failed miserably in his rookie season as the Bears lost two extra games compared to the year prior.

Poles’ luck began trending in the positive direction after he poached highly rated Ben Johnson from the Detroit Lions as the new head coach. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported that the Bears had zero intention of moving on from the 39-year-old.

According to a team source with knowledge of the situation, Poles’ deal runs through the 2026 season. and the expectation is he will receive an extension to align him with Johnson, who signed a five-year contract with Chicago, a term that is common for first-time head coaches.

Johnson signed a five-year $65 million contract to switch allegiance from Detroit to Chicago. Meanwhile, Poles had two years remaining on his contract.

On Friday, Cronin’s colleague Adam Schefter reported that the Bears had agreed to a five-year deal with Ryan Poles.

ESPN sources: the Bears and general manager Ryan Poles have reached agreement on a contract extension that ties him to Chicago for the next five years, through the 2029 season. Poles had two years remaining on his old deal, but now the Bears have him and new head coach Ben Johnson both under contract for a matching five seasons.

Schefter wrote on X

The details of Poles’ contract have not been finalized yet, so the Windy City faithful must wait a bit longer for the numbers.

Hits and misses of the Ryan Poles era in Chicago

Even though players, coaches, and support staff have limited downtime from football, GMs work nonstop year-round. They connect the players and owners, handling all the agent-related tasks. GMs also play a vital role in scouting, drafting, and dealing with free agent players.

Bears Lock In GM Ryan Poles with Five-Year Extension Through 2029
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles (Image via IMAGO)

Becoming an NFL general manager is not a walk in the park. Poles made a name for himself as a scout and then as an assistant at the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won a Super Bowl ring and was a key member in drafting 2x NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes.

The Bears hierarchy gave him the chance to manage their team, and he became their GM in 2022. It hasn’t been smooth sailing for one of the league’s youngest GMs. Any Bears will vouch that Poles’ time in Chicago has been a mixed bag experience.

Poles’ first big shake-up in Chicago was choosing the new head coach. He chose Matt Eberflus over interested Dan Quinn. It turned out to be a big dud, while Quinn led the Washington Commanders to an NFC title game two years later.

On a positive note, Poles traded for wide receiver DJ Moore from Carolina, who recorded 950+ yards in back-to-back seasons. Possibly Poles’ biggest move was drafting USC graduate Caleb Williams first overall last year despite his dad’s objections. The 2024 season wasn’t great. Williams was the most sacked player in the league, but the 23-year-old had flashes of brilliance in patches.

Poles did not waste time addressing the Bears’ biggest weakness in the draft by signing multiple Super Bowl-winning offensive lineman Joe Thuney from free agency after his contract ran out in KC.

The Bears drew the seventh-toughest schedule for the 2025 season, as per Sharp Football Analysis. Williams will begin his second year in Chicago by welcoming the Minnesota Vikings to Soldier Field.

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