LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) – With first-year head coach Ben Johnson now paired with promising second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears believe they have continuity in place. As part of that, they also sought to establish stability with current general manager Ryan Poles.
The Bears recently signed Poles to an extension that runs through the 2029 season, aligning him with the length of Johnson’s contract. Poles believes that's an important detail moving forward.
“I am excited about the alignment and the stability that we have within our leadership group here,” Poles said Tuesday as the Bears began training camp. “I have an unbelievable group of people that support me, believe in me, work with me, that help drive what we're doing on our roster and on our football team, and that means a lot. Those people mean a lot to me. But my sole focus right now is supporting Ben, his coaching staff, our players and our entire organization and football operation.”
The Bears didn’t formally announce Poles’ contract extension, maintaining their organizational policy to not comment on the deals of coaches and executives. Poles’ new contract became publicly known through a media leak on July 11. Poles previously had two years left on his deal, according to reports, and is now under contract for the next five seasons.
The Bears have gone 15-36 in Poles’ three-year tenure, which began with a roster teardown to start a rebuild.
The Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus late last November amid a 5-12 season. It marked the first time in franchise history that the organization fired a head coach in the middle of a season. Poles was then retained for a fourth year and tasked with hiring Eberflus’ replacement.
Johnson was widely considered the top coaching candidate available in this hiring cycle. He cited a strong connection with Poles as part of the draw in accepting the Bears’ offer.
The Bears’ first practice of training camp will be Wednesday morning.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.