Ryan Poles' 2025 report card: How the Bears GM helped change Chicago's trajectory
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:Kevin Fishbain and Dan Wiederer
The turnaround began with the hiring of Ben Johnson, but not even the most optimistic Bears fans could've envisioned such a quick ascent.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. —When the clock struck midnight last New Year’s Eve and 2025 arrived at 1920 Football Drive, Ryan Poles had high hopes that the year ahead could be so much better than the one that was ending.
At that time, Poles was overseeing a last-place Chicago Bears team that five nights earlier had suffered an ugly 6-3 prime-time loss to the Seattle Seahawks. That was the Bears’ 10th consecutive defeat during a seemingly interminable stretch of failure that included in-season coaching staff upheaval and a derailed development plan for quarterback Caleb Williams.
To put it bluntly, as 2025 began, the Bears were an embarrassment, a wayward franchise needing a major change of direction. Poles, with votes of confidence from Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren and Chairman George McCaskey, was afforded the trust and authority to, first, clean up the massive mess that had occurred on his watch and to then start reconstructing a winning team under new coaching leadership.
The Bears’ 2025 rebirth started Jan. 5 with a much-needed walk-off victory over the rival Packers in Green Bay. But the year’s biggest development came two weeks later when Ben Johnson, just a couple of days removed from a Detroit Lions home playoff loss, agreed to become the 19th head coach in franchise history.
At a minimum, Johnson’s arrival provided a spark. “He has a clear vision for how to put a winning football team together,” Poles said last January.
Still, among the many who acknowledged that hiring Johnson was a jackpot for the Bears, few envisioned such a rapid turnaround with the Bears following their 10-game skid of 2024 with a stretch this season that included 11 victories in 13 games as the team won the NFC North.
For good reason, Johnson has emerged as a Coach of the Year candidate. But it’s also worth reviewing Poles’ performance from the past 365 days to consider his impact on this resurgence.
On the final day of the calendar year, The Athletic has put together a position-by-position annual review for the fourth-year GM, complete with letter grades and analysis as the Bears head for 2026, a new year that will include Sunday’s regular-season finale followed by a long-awaited return to the playoffs.
Coaching
The big splash: The Bears hired Johnson on Jan. 20.
Other notable moves: Johnson united with Dennis Allen to become his defensive coordinator. Among others added to his staff were receivers coach/assistant head coach Antwaan Randle El, defensive backs coach Al Harris and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy.
Grade: A+
Comment: For full context, when the hottest candidate on the coaching market hops into your Zoom room for a preliminary interview and introduces himself by saying, “I really want this job,” it’s a little like catching the big fish because it jumped into your boat. Through that lens, Poles’ two-week, 17-candidate coaching search last January carried a bit of a “Don’t screw this up” dynamic with the Bears also high on Brian Flores, Aaron Glenn and Mike McCarthy.
Still, landing Johnson may one day go down as a transcendent move for the organization, a seismic hire that produced immediate results. Johnson’s ability to so quickly reset the culture at Halas Hall has been impressive. His ability to assemble a quality staff and connect with the players speaks to his vision and communication style.
Looking ahead: The Bears staff isn’t likely to stay completely intact for 2026, and there’s growing buzz that several assistants may draw interest for higher positions during the upcoming hiring cycle. In addition to Randle El, Bieniemy and Harris, keep an eye on offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and passing game coordinator Press Taylor. Johnson will lead the effort to stabilize the staff, with Poles offering input and guidance.
Quarterback
The big splash: The Bears signed 37-year-old veteran Case Keenum to a one-year, $3 million deal in April.
Other notable moves: Tyson Bagent was given a two-year, $10 million extension during training camp in August.
Grade: B+
Comment: During Williams’ rookie season, Poles hoped offensive assistant Ryan Griffin, a longtime NFL backup, could be like a No. 3 veteran quarterback for the No. 1 pick to lean on. This year, Poles paid Keenum to be the player Williams could lean on, creating a valuable player-to-player partnership. The two live on the same block and Keenum’s kids call Williams “Uncle Candy,” as colleague Dan Pompei wrote. The relationship matters as Williams has shown progress on the field.
Watching quarterbacks get hurt around the league, then seeing the drop-off to their backups, the Bears’ extending of Bagent’s contract seemed like an even more prudent move. Bagent had a terrific preseason. He’s beloved in the building. And he’s always ready in case he’s called upon.
Looking ahead: Will Keenum, who will turn 38 in February just before his contract expires, want to serve in the same No. 3 role for another season? If not, Poles could be looking for another 30-something to join the room.
The Bears couldn’t have asked for a bigger contribution from a seventh-round pick than they’ve received from rookie running back Kyle Monangai. (Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
Running back
The big splash: The Bears selected Rutgers back Kyle Monangai in the seventh round of the draft, No. 233 overall.
Other notable moves: Brittain Brown signed to the practice squad in late August.
Grade: B
Comment: Ashton Jeanty was a potential target for the Bears in the top 10 of last spring’s draft. TreVeyon Henderson was, too, in Round 2. But both were selected ahead of the Bears’ pick in those rounds. Two running backs also went off the board to start Round 4 before the Bears traded back. There are plenty of sliding doors moments from last spring, but the team couldn’t have asked for a better seventh-round “consolation prize.” Monangai ranks fifth among rookies in rushing production. With one game remaining, he is jockeying with Washington’s Jacory Croskey-Merritt to finish second for most rookie rushing yards for a seventh-round pick this century — Kansas City’s Isiah Pacheco has it with 830.
Looking ahead: 2026 will be the final year in the contract of D’Andre Swift, who’s 3 yards shy of setting a career high in rushing yards. The Bears seem set with a formidable 1-2 punch for next season. Before this season, some wondered if Swift would finish his contract here. But he answered doubters in his reunion with Johnson and heads for Week 18 with 1,338 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns.
Offensive line
The big splash: The Bears traded a fourth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for guard Joe Thuney in the days before the free-agent market opened. The team later extended Thuney’s contract through the 2027 season.
Other notable moves: Within a week of landing Thuney, the Bears traded for fellow guard Jonah Jackson and signed Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract in free agency. … Poles used one of his three second-round picks (No. 56) to draft offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo.
Grade: A
Comment: It’s impossible not to be impressed with how Poles and Johnson formulated a vision for the interior of their offensive line, created an action plan and then executed it to bring to life a unit that has been among the league’s best. Thuney and Dalman were both selected to the Pro Bowl last week. And Jackson, after an injury-interrupted 2024 season, has started all 16 games and played 98 percent of the snaps.
The Bears have the NFC’s most productive rushing attack (149.4 ypg) and have vaulted into the top 10 this season in total offense (third, 375.8) and scoring (10th, 26.6 ppg) even while using three starters at left tackle.
Looking ahead: Poles will have until May 1 to activate the fifth-year option for 2027 on the rookie contract of right tackle Darnell Wright. That will likely carry a price tag near $20 million, which will provide a starting point for any extension talks. From a business perspective, the Bears benefit from Wright not being selected to the Pro Bowl, which likely would have added around $4.5 million to that fifth-year option.
Wide receiver
The big splash: The Bears used the 39th pick in April’s draft on Missouri receiver Luther Burden.
Other notable moves: Veteran Olamide Zaccheaus signed a one-year, $1.5 million. … Undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker made the 53-man roster out of training camp with the team cutting 2023 fourth-round pick Tyler Scott.
Grade: B
Comment: Burden has shown flashes of his potential throughout his rookie season and, after Sunday’s career night at San Francisco, is now up to 44 catches, 617 yards and two TDs. His playmaking sizzle jumps out and it’s easy to see Johnson expanding Burden’s role as the receiver becomes more experienced and knowledgeable with the system.
Zaccheaus (39 receptions, 313 yards, two TDs) has been solid but not spectacular on his one-year deal but could be headed for his fifth team in five seasons in 2026.
Looking ahead: DJ Moore is signed through 2029 and has a base salary of $23.5 million in each of the next four seasons while carrying a cap hit of $28.5 million in 2026, 2027 and 2028. For a player whose summer 2024 extension felt like a win for everybody, figuring out Moore’s fit with both Williams and Johnson should be a priority this offseason. Moore ranks 64th this season in receptions (49) and 48th in receiving yards (671).
Tight end
The big splash: Poles made Colston Loveland the headliner of his 2025 draft class, using the 10th pick on the Michigan tight end.
Other notable moves: The Bears signed Durham Smythe to a one-year, $2.5 million deal in the spring. … The team had previously released Gerald Everett.
Comment: Using a top-10 pick on a tight end who had to miss spring practices as he recovered from shoulder surgery had its risks — especially with the Colts selecting Tyler Warren four picks later. But Loveland has emerged over the second half of this season. Since Week 9, he ranks fourth among all tight ends in receiving yards. In that same span, he has 11 first downs on third or fourth down, the most at his position. He has become a security blanket for Williams and can also create explosive plays.
Looking ahead: Kmet’s future with the team will be an offseason talking point. He carries a cap hit of $11.6 million for next season, but the Bears could get out of it, if so desired, with only $3.2 million of dead money. Kmet plays a lot and allows Johnson to maximize his two-tight-end sets.
Edge rusher
The big splash: Poles guaranteed Dayo Odeyingbo $32 million on a three-year, $48 million deal.
Other notable moves: The Bears agreed to a 2026 pick swap with Cleveland, sending a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Browns for a seventh-rounder and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. … The team released veteran DeMarcus Walker in February.
Grade: C-
Comment: The signing of Odeyingbo last March was a dice roll on potential. But even before he suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in early November, he had contributed only one sack and four quarterback hits through eight games. The Bears value Odeyingbo’s versatility and contributions to the run defense. But now fingers are crossed at Halas Hall for a successful rehab and a greater return on investment in 2026 and beyond.
Looking ahead: With two seasons left on the four-year, $98 million extension he signed in 2023, Montez Sweat figures to remain the engine of the pass rush. But one would imagine Poles will eye up the draft class and free-agency shelves this offseason to increase the quality depth in his edge rusher group while pushing to further the development of Austin Booker, a 2024 fifth-round pick who continues to show promise.
Defensive tackle
The big splash: Just hours after veteran Grady Jarrett was released by the Falcons after 10 seasons in Atlanta, the Bears lured the big man to Halas Hall with a three-year, $43.5 million deal.
Other notable moves: The team drafted Shemar Turner in the second round (No. 62). … Zacch Pickens, a 2023 third-round pick, was cut at the end of the preseason.
Grade: C+
Comment: For $28.5 million in guaranteed money, the Bears have gotten only one tackle for loss, one sack and seven QB hits from Jarrett across 13 games and four starts. However, a knee injury slowed him earlier in the season and he has been more impactful recently, including a seven-tackle game against Green Bay. Jarrett’s experience and leadership should come in handy in the playoffs, but the splash production hasn’t been there.
Turner’s season-ending ACL tear in late October came at a tough time. The Bears had just moved him to defensive end and believed they had found something. Now, after fighting through a stress fracture in his leg during his final season at Texas A&M, Turner is back in football’s unforgiving recover-and-rehab cycle and presents as an injury risk. And the Bears may not have him at full strength when training camp begins next summer.
Looking ahead: Defensive tackle Andrew Billings, who will turn 31 in March, is set to become a free agent. Do the Bears bring him back for another run? Can Jarrett be more impactful if he’s healthy in 2026, even though he’ll turn 33 in April? Next season will also be Gervon Dexter’s contract year. And he’s been solid but not special. It will be up to Poles to put the puzzle together. The Bears could have all their defensive tackles back. They could also move Turner to end, replace Billings and find another player who offers more production.
Linebackers
The big splash: The Bears extended T.J. Edwards through 2027, giving him a new $20 million deal.
Other notable moves: The Bears opted not to tender Jack Sanborn as a restricted free agent in March and he left for Dallas. The team used a Day 3 draft pick (No. 132) on Ruben Hyppolite in April and claimed D’Marco Jackson off waivers in late August.
Grade: B-
Comment: The selection of Hyppolite in the fourth round raised eyebrows for some draft analysts, who saw it as a gamble on the young linebacker’s speed rather than a bet on his proven production. Hyppolite has been active for only seven games in his rookie season, however, and has played just 31 defensive snaps.
Jackson, who arrived through a recommendation from Allen, has been a pleasant surprise as a special teams contributor and emergency starter.
Looking ahead: Tremaine Edmunds will enter the final year of his deal in 2026 and, with his 28th birthday arriving in May, registers as a candidate to stick around longer given the production he has had in Allen’s defense. Exploring the parameters for an extension will be something for Poles to consider. But the price tag will be key.
Cornerback Nahshon Wright has been a huge surprise for the Bears this season, easing the blow when some of their top defensive backs have missed time with injuries. (Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
Cornerback
The big splash: The Bears extended the contract of Kyler Gordon through 2028, guaranteeing him more than $31 million on a three-year, $40 million deal.
Other notable moves: The Bears signed C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a one-year, $1.2 million deal in late October. … In what, at the time, felt like a minor depth signing, the Bears united with Nahshon Wright on a one-year, $1.1 million contract.
Grade: B+
Comment: Poles’ moves at cornerback have been like the popular Alonzo Mourning GIF. With Jaylon Johnson missing extended time, Wright emerged for a breakout season. Gordon suffered three separate soft-tissue injuries and has played in only two games, but Gardner-Johnson has stepped in nicely and was instrumental in the win over the Giants. Even Nick McCloud, another afterthought signing, fared OK filling in for Gordon.
Looking ahead: The 49ers targeted Wright often on Sunday. A few of Brock Purdy’s throws were perfect, but it also could’ve been a warning sign if the Bears are considering re-signing Wright to a big deal. He has been a great story, is worthy of postseason honors and still leads the league in takeaways. But the Bears also have Tyrique Stevenson under contract for next year.
It’ll be interesting to see Wright’s market and what role the Bears play. Al Harris clearly gets the most out of Wright. But will Harris’ future — in Chicago or elsewhere — affect Wright’s thinking? Gardner-Johnson is also a free agent. And part of the outlook at this position will require the staff to figure out Gordon’s injury issues and how they can be avoided.
Safety
The big splash: N/A
Other notable moves: N/A
Grade: Incomplete
Comment: The Bears kept things intact from 2024 with a safety quartet of Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Elijah Hicks and Jonathan Owens. Together, that group has given the team admirable stability on the back end of the defense and on special teams. Byard, in the final year of a two-year, $15 million deal, has provided an incredible return on investment. He was selected to his third Pro Bowl this season with a league-high six interceptions and has been a valuable leader as well.
Looking ahead: Byard, Brisker, Hicks and Owens all have contracts that expire in March, setting the table for some big decisions from Poles. The desire to keep Byard around figures to remain strong. The parameters of a new deal, though, could prove tricky and require creativity as the Bears head toward the next league year with limited salary-cap space.
Special teams
The big splash: The Bears signed two-time Pro Bowl return specialist Devin Duvernay to a one-year, $1.2 million deal in free agency.
Other notable moves: The team added Jake Moody to the practice squad in Week 2. … Bears special teams ace Josh Blackwell agreed to a two-year extension.
Grade: B
Comment: The decision to re-sign Blackwell, probably Poles’ best waiver claim since 2022, proved to be significant. Blackwell saved the team twice this season — once in Las Vegas with a blocked field goal, and then again when he recovered an onside kick against Green Bay. Duvernay’s big return late in the game in Minnesota set up a game-winning field goal. The Bears’ kickoff-return unit ranks 12th.
Looking ahead: Kicker Cairo Santos carries a $3.76 million cap hit for next season. He booted a walk-off field goal to beat the Vikings this season, set the franchise career record for 50-plus-yard field goals and had the successful onside kick two weeks ago against Green Bay that became one of the most important contributions to the team’s most meaningful win. Santos knows Soldier Field better than most, but perhaps the Bears seek competition in the spring and summer.
