Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles appeared on the Pat McAfee Show today and discussed the team’s offseason thus far into the 2024 season. Poles commented on a recent post by Robert Griffin III, who gave draft “advice” to Caleb Williams.
The Chicago Bears are the talk of the town for a second year in a row, holding the first overall pick. The talk seems to be unanimously in favor of Caleb Williams to the Bears.
One sports personality disagrees with Williams going to the Bears. Robert Griffin III thinks that Caleb should find a home anywhere but Chicago. Ryan Poles commented on those thoughts on the Pat McAfee show today.
“It pisses me off a little bit, to be honest with you, because we were hired to break a cycle,” the 36-year-old Poles told McAfee. “The same thing when I was in Kansas City, Coach [Andy] Reid, all of us were brought there to change a cycle and we did — and no one talks about those days anymore. It’s all about what they are right now.”
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
Robert Griffin’s post said that Caleb Williams should pull an “Eli Manning” and request to be traded immediately after the Chicago Bears drafted him first overall.
GM for the Chicago Bears Stands His Ground
Poles took offense to RGIII’s comments. He then stood his ground on what he has been able to do and his goals for the future.
Poles continues by saying, “We are going to break the cycle. We’re going to get the city of Chicago in an excellent situation.”
Ryan Poles Legacy
Poles was not the general manager who drafted Justin Fields. His handling of the “Fields situation,” as RGIII calls it, was as graceful as any organization could handle it.
Poles had other trade opportunities for Justin Fields, but reports came out that he took a deal that gave Fields the best opportunity to succeed, even if it wasn’t in the best return value.
According to ESPN, Poles said the Bears received offers from teams other than Pittsburgh, but he believed the opportunity to send Fields to a place with a clearer path to compete was doing right by the 25-year-old.
Earlier in the interview, Poles seemed still distraught over the Fields trade. He was a fan of the player, not the player’s situation.
Culture for the Chicago Bears
Culture is a buzzword in the world of football. You either have it or you don’t. Many cannot say precisely what it is, but when you have it, you know it. The Bears aim for culture, starting at the top with Ryan Poles.
The Bears were a 6-11 team in 2021 before GM Ryan Poles was hired. The roster was questionable, and they looked to clean house to create long-term success instead of fighting for playoff spots.
Poles has had some misses in his build towards a cultural rebranding—trading for Chase Claypool and drafting Velus Jones Jr., to name a few. Overall, there has been more good than bad.
The most significant move was trading back in the 2023 draft with the Carolina Panthers. Chicago set themselves up for the future by gaining draft capital down the line and grabbing a weapon in D.J. Moore that would help any quarterback who plays for the Bears.
Ryan Poles also acquired Montez Sweat via trade from the Washington Commanders. Since Sweat’s addition, the Bears went from 28th to 20th in points allowed, 23rd to 12th in yards allowed, and 22nd to third in takeaways for the remainder of the season. The Bears also finished the season 5-3.
Building a culture takes time. The 2024 season will show whether or not that change is taking place.
Robert Griffin III’s Original Post:
Caleb Williams should pull an Eli Manning and tell the Chicago Bears I AIN’T COMING. pic.twitter.com/g9Mx1cggsA
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 18, 2024
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