Bears Insider Just Confirmed A Gigantic Ryan Poles Rumor
People are waiting to see what happens once the final game of the 2023 season is played. The Chicago Bears have seen a lot of positives. They’ve improved their record from 3-14 last year to 7-9. Thanks to the work done by GM Ryan Poles, young talent is emerging across the roster. The problem is questions persist about head coach Matt Eberflus and quarterback Justin Fields. Both have played key roles in some ugly losses this season, including three 4th quarter collapses that cost the Bears a shot at the playoffs. At the same time, they’ve also had great moments too. Eberflus has turned around the defense into a top unit. Fields keeps making four or five highlight-reel plays a week.
Fans and teammates have made their opinions on Fields evident. They want him to stay. Eberflus is a different story. Opinions on him have remained surprisingly absent. While Ian Rapoport of NFL Network did say the likelihood is strong the head coach returns, Courtney Cronin of ESPN isn’t so sure about that. She went on The Chicago Bears Podcast this week, where she dropped a bombshell. Based on what she’s heard, Poles did not have the final say when Eberflus was hired in 2022. George McCaskey and Ted Phillips were the ones who made that call.
This confirms a rumor many have championed for several months.
This revelation on Ryan Poles changes everything.
It leads one to think that all the rumors about a possible coaching change aren’t coming from new team president Kevin Warren, as many believe. They might be coming from Poles. While he’s worked well alongside Eberflus for two years and has been a consistent supporter in public, he may not see the man as the long-term choice for his vision. If Poles intends to make a change at quarterback, and multiple insiders believe he plans to do exactly that, then the logical move is to find an offensive head coach to help him develop.
Maybe that changes if Eberflus beats the Packers on Sunday. Chicago hasn’t defeated Green Bay since the end of 2018. Eberflus is 0-3 against them, with all three not being close. Couple that with the 4th quarter issues and the conservative coaching style? It isn’t hard to understand why Poles, an offensive guy by background, may want to make a change. Warren might also be playing a role in this, hoping to bring in somebody he is familiar with. This revelation is a game-changer. Suddenly, it feels like Poles isn’t tied to Eberflus at the hip anymore. Hiring him wasn’t the GM’s call. It was one last middle finger from a former team president everybody wants to forget.