When the Chicago Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus, many were quick to defend general manager Ryan Poles.
While there can be a healthy debate regarding how involved Poles was with the hiring of Eberflus, the fact he brought Eberflus back last January was a major mark against his tenure as the Bears' general manager. With Eberflus no longer in the picture, the Bears are being exposed in their Week 14 game against the San Francisco 49ers.
HALF: 49ers 24, Bears 0.
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) December 8, 2024
Total yards: 49ers 319, Bears 4.
Passer rating: Brock Purdy 155.8, Caleb Williams 70.1.
Sacks allowed: 49ers 1, Bears 4.
Bears get the ball to start the second half.
Poles and the Bears can no longer use the crutch of bad coaching. For the third consecutive season, Poles constructed a roster that was filled with flaws. It's none more apparent when you look at the struggles of the Bears' offense line.
Williams already entered Sunday's game as the most sacked quarterback in the NFL this season and four more were added to his total during the first half.
We must rewind back to the offseason when Poles openly confessed how proud he was of the depth the Bears had on their offensive line. Beyond Eberflus' coaching, the struggles of the offensive line are one of the biggest reasons why the 2024 season has gone off the rails.
It's larger sign of the issue that Poles may have in evaluating talent. An issue that is now going to take center stage with Eberflus no longer in the building.
Ryan Poles should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for what he’s done to the Chicago Bears’ offensive line.
— Shane Riordan (@shane_riordan) December 8, 2024
You have to be a special kind of bad at your job as general manager to fail at identifying talent at the very position you played in college. If Sunday's opening effort against the 49ers is any indication, Poles is closer to being a bad general manager than he is a good one.
Ryan Poles can go.
— Adam the dont stare directly at the sun worm (@trislerstudz) December 8, 2024
If the Bears truly are a new organization under Kevin Warren, Poles will be in jeopardy of losing his job at the end of the season. Perhaps, that may still happen, but Poles was given a strong endorsement from Warren last Monday.
Poles' roster construction being exposed might do more damage to the team's search for a new head coach than the appeal of Caleb Williams will have. A prominent candidate like Ben Johnson is not going to want to come to the Bears, knowing that Poles is very much on the hot seat.
One thing is clear, with Eberflus no longer, the stench of the Bears' organization is now originating from Poles.