6 thoughts following the Chicago Bears 31-10 loss to the Jets
Chicago Bears Thought No. 5 Ryan Poles has a tough task ahead of him
General Manager, Ryan Poles spoke during the pregame show and stated that wanting to protect Justin Fields’ health was the reason why they sat him against the New York Jets.
Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles said on the Bears pregame radio show that QB Justin Fields is a "highly competitive player" but "our job is to protect our players and their health. You always want to protect your quarterback."
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) November 27, 2022
These comments surely went well with those who believe he did not do enough to surround Justin Fields with weapons and protection at the beginning of the season.
Ever since the breakout performance against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football, Fields has been phenomenal. Poles finally came around to Fields being the franchise quarterback and made a trade to acquire Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Chicago Bears now have the No. 2 pick thanks to this loss and the Carolina Panthers winning against the Denver Broncos. Both Poles and his righthand guy Ian Cunningham can find solace in that while they continue to scout across the country in preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Ironically, yesterday’s ugly loss indicates just how far his team is from being competitive as he had torn down the roster to the bare minimum after the trade deadline. And his task will only get tougher each week as the injuries to key players are starting to pile up now.
To be honest, it may require at least two years of drafting and free agency for the Chicago Bears to be even remotely competitive enough to challenge for the NFC North title.
Once the regular season ends on January 8th, it is no longer about Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace. The onus is going to be on Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles. The honeymoon period will officially end for both men. Everything they say and do will be met with scrutiny and picked apart — fair or not.
But this is the path Poles has chosen. He must remain honest and transparent. His vision must align with Eberflus’ on how this team is going to be rebuilt. While I do not expect him to spend all the cap money this offseason like the Jacksonville Jaguars did this year, he must be aggressive in fixing the issues — especially both the offensive and defensive lines.
There will be teams the Bears must compete with over certain free agents, and he will have a tough task selling the franchise after coming off what could be the worst season in franchise history.
And while he nailed his first draft despite not having the first-round pick, netting CB Kyler Gordon, SS Jaquan Brisker, LT Braxton Jones, and UDFA LB Jack Sanborn, his real test will come next April.
Whether he stays or trades down for multiple picks, the Chicago Bears are in a nice position. But he must nail the draft to justify the personnel decisions he made this season.