Bears hire Chiefs' Poles as new GM
The Chicago Bears hired Kansas City Chiefs assistant director of player personnel Ryan Poles as their next general manager, the club announced Tuesday.
Poles will replace Ryan Pace, who served as Chicago's GM from 2015-21. The Bears parted ways with Pace and head coach Matt Nagy on Jan. 10 after finishing the season 6-11.
"It's an honor for me to join such a well-regarded organization," Poles said. "Together with my family, I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running to help get this organization, its fanbase, and the city what they deserve: a winning team and a Super Bowl trophy."
"We are thrilled to be able to add someone of Ryan's background and football expertise to our organization," said team chairman George H. McCaskey.
Poles has been with the Chiefs since 2009. The 36-year-old held several executive roles with the club and became director of player personnel in 2018. He also served as director of college scouting in 2017, the year Kansas City traded up in the first round of the draft to select quarterback Patrick Mahomes at No. 10.
Cleveland Browns vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was the other known finalist for the Bears job, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Poles, a former offensive tackle, signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after five seasons at Boston College, but he didn't make the final roster. He'll face plenty of challenges as general manager in Chicago, including finding a head coach to replace Nagy.
The team recently requested a second head coaching interview with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, making him the third known finalist for the job along with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and former Colts and Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
The Bears haven't had a winning season in the last three campaigns, going 22-27 in the regular season since 2019.