Ryan Poles knows the history. He knows what it looks like when a promising Bears season turns into a missed opportunity.
He’s seen how fleeting success can be in Chicago - just ask anyone who remembers 2018. That year, the Bears broke through with a division title and a playoff berth, only to stall out with back-to-back 8-8 seasons and eventually spiral back to the bottom.
So when Poles took over as general manager, he didn’t just want to build a winner - he wanted to build one that could last.
Fast forward to 2025, and the Bears finally delivered a season worth talking about. They went 11-6, knocked off the rival Packers in the Wild Card round, and came within an overtime possession of punching their ticket to the NFC Championship. It was a massive leap forward - but for Poles and head coach Ben Johnson, it’s only the beginning.
Johnson, for his part, made it clear that the team would be starting from scratch again this offseason - not because they’re hitting the reset button, but because that’s what it takes to keep climbing. You don’t coast to a championship; you rebuild, refine, and reload. Poles echoed that mindset, striking a tone that was both proud and urgent.
“I am proud of the progress that we’ve made,” Poles said. “And knowing that, we can’t be complacent. We’ve got to keep pushing forward.”
That’s not just GM-speak. Poles and Johnson both come from organizations that know a thing or two about sustained success - Kansas City and Detroit, respectively - and they understand how tough it is to stay on top once you’ve arrived.
The challenge now isn’t just to repeat what they did in 2025. It’s to go further.
“I can tell you right now, we’re all excited for that challenge,” Poles continued. “Building this team back up, making tweaks, tightening screws on the process, and the people that we need to continue to elevate for us to get back to where we were and exceed that, and win championships around here.”
That last part? That’s the mission.
Championships. Not just playoff wins.
Not just division titles. The Bears are aiming higher now.
So what does that mean for the offseason? Expect Poles to operate with what you might call calculated aggression.
He’s not about to throw caution to the wind and empty the vault for a splashy, all-or-nothing run. That’s not his style.
But don’t mistake that for passivity.
This front office understands that the margin for error in January is razor-thin - and that one or two key additions can be the difference between heartbreak and a Super Bowl berth. So while fans might dream about a blockbuster trade for a star like Maxx Crosby, the more likely route is a strategic one: clearing cap space, targeting a couple of high-impact veterans, and then turning their attention to another strong draft class in April.
It’s not about overhauling the roster. It’s about identifying the right pieces to elevate a team that’s close - but not quite there.
This is where Poles’ background shines through. He’s methodical, but he’s not afraid to be bold when the moment calls for it.
He saw what worked in Kansas City. He saw how Detroit turned the corner.
Now, he’s applying those lessons in Chicago - with a roster that’s already shown it can hang with the league’s best, but still needs that extra push to become one of them.
There’s a temptation, after a season like this, to stand pat. To say, “We were one throw away from the NFC title game - why mess with it?”
But that’s not how champions are built. That’s how teams get stuck in neutral.
Poles isn’t interested in moral victories. He’s not here to celebrate close calls.
He’s here to raise banners. And that means the work is just getting started.
So don’t expect the Bears to sit quietly this spring. They’ve tasted what it feels like to be a contender.
Now they want more. And if Poles has his way, 2025 will be remembered not as the peak - but as the beginning.