Chicago Bears and Ryan Poles made a mistake with LaMar Campbell
As I was working from home today and spending a little extra time with the family before the holiday weekend started to get into full swing, I was not paying much attention to Chicago Bears news. Then, late tonight after my three kids went to bed and I was finally able to get into my normal routines, I saw the news. I saw that Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears made the decision to fire LaMar Campbell (“Soup”).
Really? This was your big move Poles? I have tried to defend the moves that Poles has and has not made this offseason, but this one I just do not understand. LaMar Campbell was part of the hiring committee that hired Poles. To return the favor, Poles not only fired Campbell, but he chose to do it over the phone while Campbell was on vacation with his family. I’ll say it again, really?
LaMar Campbell, Bears director of player engagement was fired by Ryan Poles
Look, for anyone who isn’t on the inside, I can understand your thoughts here — who cares? The thing is, if you listen to any one of the beat reporters who have the inside track, not only with the organization but also with the players, this move came out of nowhere. The cold-hearted move to make the decision while the man was on vacation with his family is the biggest mistake in my opinion. Who does that?
We will never know the full story unless LaMar Campbell comes out and tells it to us in retaliation. I highly doubt that Ryan Poles will explain it. Was there an altercation between Campbell and Poles? Maybe it happened between Campbell and a player? Is Ryan Poles looking to make a power grab and push out everyone he can from the last regime? This is all purely speculation at this point.
The Chicago Bears made a mistake in firing LaMar “Soup” Campbell
Some of you won’t care about this happening. However, it could cause problems in the locker room. Even if you wanted everyone cleared out from the last regime, there are still plenty of players who have likely made a strong connection to LaMar Campbell over the last couple of seasons. Campbell was hired in 2017 and therefore, he has been around many of the players on the current roster. He’s built relationships and is able to help some of the younger guys since he played five years in the NFL himself.
The other issue that I have with it was the timing. There is never a perfect time to fire someone, but to do it while you know the person is out of town and on vacation seems like one of the worst times. Here’s a compilation of how some people took the news on social media.