As Chicago Bears hire Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus, it's time for chairman George McCaskey to step up - Chicago Bears Blog- ESPN

When reports emerged this week that Ryan Poles was in negotiations to become the general manager of the Chicago Bears, one of the franchise's most beloved former players spoke up. Longtime center Olin Kreutz, who retired a decade ago and still lives in the Chicago area, tweeted that Poles should make sure he gets more than $15 per hour.

Kreutz's joke referenced his own claim that the Bears once insulted him by offering an hourly fee to serve as a player consultant, a contention that Bears chairman George McCaskey has said wasn't true. Kreutz stood by his story — saying in a radio interview that «if a guy like George McCaskey doesn't like me, that is a win for me» — and provided a glimpse into the dysfunction that has festered during McCaskey's 11-season tenure as the team's chairman.

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Poles is the third general manager McCaskey has hired, and Matt Eberflus is the fourth coach. By all accounts, they are roundly respected around the NFL. But so were former general managers Ryan Pace and Phil Emery when they were hired, as were coaches Matt Nagy, John Fox and Marc Trestman. None of them brought long-term success to the Bears organization, however, and that through line serves as an uncomfortable reminder that the