INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (104.3 The Score) — Bears general manager Ryan Poles pulled up a pool last week in Grand Cayman when a vacationing fan asked him a pressing question.
Where will the Bears’ future stadium be built?
“I've got enough to worry about with the roster,” Poles chimed back.
In his fifth year on the job, Poles is accustomed to hearing the opinions of Bears fans, whether it’s in Chicago or the Caribbean. But as he arrived in Indianapolis this week for the NFL Combine, Poles found himself in a different position.
The Bears have stability and a foundation in place as the offseason has begun in earnest. They're coming off an 11-6 campaign and NFC North title in 2025, have an ideal pairing between head coach Ben Johnson and 24-year-old quarterback Caleb Williams and have hope to sustain success moving forward.
At this time back in 2022, Poles was a first-year general manager forming his rebuilding plan. A year later at the NFL Combine, he shopped the No. 1 overall pick on the trade market. In 2024, he scouted the quarterback class with an eye on Williams. And last February, he had Johnson by his side as a first-year head coach as the two worked to build a shared vision for the team.
The Bears are climbing the NFL’s treacherous mountain, but reaching the pinnacle is the greatest challenge. As they look to improve, Poles needs to strike a delicate balance between win-now aspirations and future ambitions.
“You got to win the first one, right? Like, you got to get started,” Poles said. “But what are you willing to sacrifice to do that? Like, there's some things you can do to, you all have seen that before I got here. You can accelerate it and then after, it goes away pretty quick. So, we got to balance both.”
Poles inherited a Bears franchise that once believed its championship window was open in 2018. That window closed quickly on his predecessor, former general manager Ryan Pace, as quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was never the answer and an aging roster declined. Poles spent his first three years on the job digging Chicago out of a hole.
The difference between then and now is that the Bears appear to have a budding franchise quarterback in Williams, who enjoyed a strong second NFL season. Williams threw for a franchise-record 3,942 yards along with 27 touchdowns while leading Chicago to the division crown and its first playoff win in 15 years.
Poles and Johnson have both pointed to how Williams needs to become more efficient in his third NFL season, but they're thrilled with his progress. Poles and vice president of football administration Matt Feinstein have already begun building models for the Bears' future salary cap outlook with a lucrative long-term contract extension for Williams included.
“For the organization, that’s a great thing to be on that path and feel like you have a long-term quarterback solution,” Poles said.
Williams isn’t eligible for a contract extension until after the 2026 season. That means this immediate opportunity in front of the Bears is critical. They have the chance to maximize their roster construction as their quarterback plays on his rookie contract.
The Bears are currently over the salary cap. They have until March 11 to get under it. Poles mentioned he has fielded phone calls from opposing teams that have expressed interest in trading for a few of his players. Some of those conversations could be centered on receiver DJ Moore, who's owed more than $100 million over the next four years.
Trading Moore would significantly alter the Bears’ salary cap situation and could add draft assets as the team looks to keep building for the future.
"We want him here,” Poles said of Moore. “We think highly of him. He's a great teammate. He has been productive pretty consistently over the last couple years that he has been here. So, I have nothing but great things to say about him. But this is the time where we have to look at all the different scenarios and see what can allow us to put the best team we can put out there.”
The Bears could also find a trade market for veteran tight end Cole Kmet, who is under contract for two more seasons. Kmet has been a key leader for the team and is one of the better tight ends in the league.
For his part, Poles is focused on building the “best combination of players” for the Bears, who also could have turnover in their secondary, where Pro Bowl cornerback Nahshon Wright and All-Pro safety Kevin Byard are set to become free agents.
It all means that Poles has a lot to consider, but his Bears are in a good place. No longer are they looking up from the bottom without a plan. They're on their way up and looking to reach the pinnacle.
“I got a head coach that wants to sustain success and win for a long period of time,” Poles said. “I have a quarterback who continues to progress and he wants to be one of best to ever do it and win a lot of championships.
“We have to be very conscious of how we put this team together, but we want to win championships now. We want to be able to have that flexibility to continue to win down the road.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for TheScoreChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.