Ryan Poles continues to prove why he's the best Chicago Bears GM in my lifetime

Ryan Poles has a meticulous process for how he operates the Bears

If you have yet to read the in-depth, behind-the-scenes article Albert Breer wrote for Sports Illustrated, then I encourage you to do so. I won't share all of the details and it is a lengthy read. However, there are a few main points that stick out to me that scream Ryan Poles, even with a losing record, will end up being the best general manager the Chicago Bears have had in my lifetime.

Some might argue that Poles lucked into Caleb Williams and I am here to tell you that luck plays a part in every situation a general manager may encounter. However, many times that luck is at least manufactured. Poles fleeced the Panthers last year when he traded them the first pick in the draft for Bryce Young. There isn't any other way to look at that trade.

Sure, Chicago lucked into that 2023 pick thanks to the Texans beating the Colts in the final week of the season. It was Lovie Smith's last game as the Texans' head coach, and it was the game that gave the Bears the first pick in that draft over Houston. Luck played a part, but it wasn't luck that negotiated that trade with Carolina. It wasn't luck that Poles chose to stick with Fields over both Young and C.J. Stroud. Poles just continued to do what he said he wanted to do from the start — build this team right. Build this team through the draft. Take the North and never give it back.

Well, he's been building and building, and now as we enter year three of his career here in Chicago, it looks more likely that Chicago could take the North and never give it back. It won't be easy with how well the Lions have played over the last two years and it also doesn't help that Jordan Love looks like the next coming of Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre. I'm still holding out hope for a major regression. The Vikings don't scare me but I will say that I am glad Poles ended up here since he was a finalist candidate for Minnesota in 2021 as well.

The meticulous details that Ryan Poles goes through and expects from his personnel department is like no other I have seen while watching and covering the Chicago Bears. You can read it in the article that Breer wrote. Poles went all around the country in 2023 to make sure he could see all of the top quarterback prospects in action rather than just watch film. He used a personal plane to zip around the country because he wanted to see more than what we see on tape. He wanted to see sideline reactions and interactions. He wanted to talk to people who knew the players. It was very detailed.

Let me remind you that this was going on while also supporting Justin Fields and the team. I'm sure Poles and Matt Eberflus hoped the Fields situation would play out and Fields would prove he was worthy of a fifth-year option plus a second contract. That didn't happen, though, and Poles handled the whole situation correctly and with class.

This brings me to reason number two on why Poles is truly King Poles, ruler of Halas Hall...