Bears sticking with GM Ryan Poles; will lead search for coach - ESPN

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Three days after the Chicago Bears changed course at head coach by firing Matt Eberflus following a 23-20 loss to the Detroit Lions, the organization has decided to retain the rest of their football leadership moving forward.

Ryan Poles will remain general manager of the Bears, team president and CEO Kevin Warren said during a Monday news conference. Poles will serve as the «point person» and lead the team's search to find its next head coach, according to Warren.

«Ryan is young. He's talented. He's bright. He's hard-working,» Warren said. «He has done everything in his power on a daily basis to bring a winner to Chicago. And I'm confident in Ryan. My faith remains strong in Ryan.»

Poles said the Bears have not decided on whether they will use a search firm to find their next head coach, which would be the 17th in the franchise's 105-year history. Warren confirmed that Poles will have the final say on who is hired.

Poles and Eberflus were hired together in January 2022 when they replaced former GM Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy. The Bears embarked on a massive rebuild that began with a roster teardown ahead of a 3-14 season in 2022 followed by a 7-10 finish in 2023.

After using the first overall pick to draft quarterback Caleb Williams in April, the Bears were primed to take a step forward in 2024 — which began with a 4-2 start. Since then, Chicago has lost six straight games, four of which were decided by one score.

«I want to thank Coach Eberflus for his efforts and his dedication while he was here, but at the end of the day, we just came up short too many times and we had to make a change,» Poles said. «As I reflect back two years ago, I was proud of the progress that we made from Year 1 to Year 2,