Did the Chicago Bears and Ryan Poles botch the Larry Ogunjobi situation?

We are a couple of weeks removed from the Larry Ogunjobi signing. Now that we have more details on the contract, did the Chicago Bears and Ryan Poles make a mistake regarding Ogunjobi? This is a question that really won’t have an answer until after the season starts. If that’s the case, then why take the time to write about it now?

Well, recency bias is a very big thing in the sports world, and although most Chicago Bears fans will talk about this not being a mistake now, if Ogunjobi has a great season I’m confident most of those fans will be singing a different tune should Justin Jones and the defensive line struggle. You will hear things like — “Look at what that defensive line could have looked like should Ryan Poles had just paid Larry Ogunjobi.”

Did Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears make a mistake regarding Larry Ogunjobi?

I’m here to put it out there that no matter how well Ogunjobi plays this season, Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears did not make a mistake to move on from the 2021 breakout defensive tackle. The only way that this becomes a mistake is if Larry Ogunjobi consistently finishes as a top-10 defensive tackle every year for the next three years (the length of his original offer from the Bears). Personally, as much as I like Ogunjobi’s ability to put pressure on the quarterback, I don’t foresee this happening.

Although I have already made my declaration on if the Chicago Bears made a mistake or not regarding Larry Ogunjobi, let’s take a quick look at the facts — especially because one mistake was made here despite the situation not being completely botched.