The Chicago Bears’ general manager appeared on “the Pat McAfee Show” and discussed the nature of the Justin Fields trade.
Ryan Poles, the Bears’ GM, appeared on the Pat McAfee Show (ESPN) and discussed the decision to trade Justin Fields. Anthony DiGuilio, “Tone Digs,” a member of The Pat McAfee Show, the host of the sports betting podcast Hammer Dahn, and an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan, asked about who he was getting in the Justin Fields trade.
“Getting a great kid works his butt off. We’ve all seen that. Dynamic in terms of how he moves. The person is outstanding. You won’t be wrong there at all.
In terms of hard decisions, absolutely. His Jersey is up in the house. My son was Justin Fields for Halloween. Those conversations are tough. I get it from the fan base why that is a difficult thing.
My job is to look at the short-term and the long-term and set our organization up for success.” Via @PatMcAfeeShow
"Justin Fields is a great kid and he works his butt off..
The person is outstanding and that was a very hard decision" ~ Ryan Poles #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/ndSJ1oNSd7
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 26, 2024
Chicago Bears Say Goodbye
The story of Justin Fields’ departure has been covered many times, but hearing Poles speak reiterates the difficulty in the decision. Saying goodbye to Fields was something that fans and people within the organization did not want to do, but it was necessary.
In retrospect, the Bears never gave Fields a chance to succeed. The firing of former head coach Matt Nagy and former general manager Ryan Pace after Fields rookie season was the beginning of the end. Fields needed every opportunity to succeed and failed to do so. Fields can be blamed, but the actual burden should fall on ownership and their lack of vision for this talented young man.
Greener Pastures Are Ahead
GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have all but confirmed their decision for the first overall pick. Caleb Williams is expected to be with the Bears next season, and optimism should be in the air.
Not that it should come as a surprise to anyone but both GM Ryan Poles & HC Matt Eberflus have all but confirmed that Caleb Williams is the pick over the last 2 days.
The film was never in question. Poles has basically said as much. #Bears https://t.co/FUCsg4MP3c
— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) March 26, 2024
Caleb Williams is being mentioned in the “generational talent” category, and fans should be as excited as Eberflus and Poles seem to be. Williams showed up at his Pro Day, and since then, he has been the talk of the town as the first overall pick.
Poles Setting the Bears Up for the Future
Fans should agree that it is good to see that Ryan Poles cares, but he is still putting the organization first. Being a “player-first” GM will gain the respect of people around the league, but it can only get someone so far if it does not lead to long-term success.
If Caleb turns out to be the talent expected, Poles has set him up with an impressive roster to support him in his journey toward success. The Bears traded for D.J. Moore along with the pick that gave the Bears a chance to draft Caleb, traded for Montez Sweat during the season, and traded for Keenan Allen this past offseason, among tons of other moves, to create an above-average roster.
Bears fans should rejoice at Ryan Poles’ maneuvers and what they mean for the Bears’ future.
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