The curse of misalignment has once again befallen the Chicago Bears. Faced with the task of finding yet another head coach to pair with a young quarterback who the coach did not have a hand in selecting, immense pressure is on the Bears to get this hire right.
However, unlike prior searches, this time, the Bears also have to contend with an additional layer of dysfunction in that their general manager is surely on the hot seat after a once-promising rebuild has soured, revealing crack after crack in the foundation of this team.
What makes this Bears search different, however, from previous searches under chairman George McCaskey is that this time, there is a new figure in Halas Hall: Kevin Warren. It's apparent to anyone who follows the team that Warren, in his short stint on the job, has become the most powerful force in that building. With his seat at the table ahead of Ryan Poles, he could make waves by letting go of the GM and starting fresh in 2025.
After a disastrous 2024 season and a trail of horrible coaching decision misfires leading up to this season, there's no questioning that the target is squarely on Poles' back as the Bears try to figure out why they are still where they've always been. No one would scoff at the notion of the Bears letting him go, and if the best available head coaching candidates have serious reservations about working under a GM with no long-term security, it begs the question as to why bringing back Poles in a contract year is even up for discussion.
Enter, the Bears beloved chairman George McCaskey. Latest reports have suggested that ownership (i.e., George) has stood in the way of any potential general manager changes, a type of meddling that may undercut Warren's attempt to right the ship on the field in an effort to save his projects off the field. Yet another sign of dysfunction that is sure to turn off the league's top head coaching candidates.
However, all of this structural dysfunction could have been avoided if McCaskey had not also put Warren in charge of Poles when Warren was hired. When Poles was hired, it was made clear that he only answered to ownership. Yet, a year later, he got a new boss, and now his new boss's boss, who was actually his old boss, is intervening to stop his new boss from firing him. See the confusion here?
The fix to the issue plaguing the Chicago Bears' front office.
If McCaskey wanted to meddle this much in the operations of his football team, then why did he cede power to Warren when he was hired? Moreover, if that's how he intends to involve himself then it behooves him to now reset the structure and clearly define everyone's responsibilities.
Whether or not Poles lasts beyond this year is still to be seen, but in any case, the Bears need to clearly define the job responsibilities of their senior brass. Whether Poles stays or Poles goes, the new HC and whichever GM is here in 2025 need to only answer to George McCaskey.
Warren should certainly have a seat at the table to advise the McCaskeys, as not taking advantage of his connections and network would be a huge misstep. However, if George is going to involve himself in organizational decisions, then he may as well rip the band-aid off and put everyone in their proper place, including himself.