Finding the right head coach has been a problem for the Chicago Bears going back over a decade. It all started when they fired Lovie Smith despite a 10-6 finish in 2012. Since then, it’s almost as if a demon came to collect on a contract, sticking the franchise with the worst run of head coaches in franchise history. It started with the horror show that was Marc Trestman, then John Fox, Matt Nagy, and now Matt Eberflus. GM Ryan Poles’ first pick for the position might be the biggest disaster since Abe Gibron.
Suppose he does get another opportunity after Eberflus is fired in January. In that case, he must do everything possible to ensure he doesn’t miss twice, especially with the fate of Caleb Williams in the balance. In times like this, some good luck is always welcome. A top-tier head coach becoming available at the exact right time would qualify. Most would agree Kyle Shanahan is among the league’s best after two Super Bowl appearances in five years. However, the team’s struggles this season have many whispering that he could lose his job if the San Francisco 49ers can’t rally to make the playoffs.
Ryan Poles would be insane not to pounce if this comes true.
Lots of people will say this is impossible. San Francisco would never do that. Well, Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog poured some gas on those flames with a recent tweet.
Anyone who has followed Hughes for a long time knows he has proven connections around the league. He wouldn’t post something like that unless he was hearing something. Andy Reid was wildly successful for the Philadelphia Eagles, taking them to five NFC championships and a Super Bowl from 1999 to 2010. However, two disappointing seasons in 2011 and 2012 led to his firing. He landed in Kansas City not long after that and has now won three championships.
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Don’t forget Ryan Poles was in Kansas City when that happened. There is no way he wouldn’t sense the same opportunity if Shanahan became available. The guy reached two Super Bowls with Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy. Imagine what he could accomplish with Williams as his quarterback. He is still only 44 years old. San Francisco sits at 5-5. Their remaining schedule features four teams with winning records, another who beat them once already (the Rams), the surging Dolphins, and the Bears. If things keep going sideways, 49ers ownership may decide a change is needed.
Don’t forget this is the same guy who fired Jim Harbaugh. It remains unlikely, but the possibility is there.
Back-to-back first overall selection in the 2023 and 2024 NFL Draft — and a 14-30 W-L record (.318).
Yeah — Ryan Poles is “great.”
Maybe he’s going for a trifecta — huh?
Not sticking up for @TGena but Poles should be in big trouble. Please dont say hes better yet than Angelo who built a team that competed in the Superbowl and had multiple playoff apperances. As of right now, key words, he hasnt even beat out Ryan Pace. Someone mentioned Poles inherited a garbage situation, well Pace inherited worse thanks to Emery and Trestman. Like it or not he built the 2018 team that won a division title and should have made the SuperBowl. Poles struck gold( also got Fn lucky) with CW but has he drafted a probowl player yet?… Read more »
@Dr. Melhus You absolutely nailed it. I have been saying this on a few different Bears pages in response to ppl calling for Poles to be fired. To me, it’s some of the most short-sighted, dumbest crap ever. Ppl act as if he didn’t have a garbage pail mess to clean up when he arrived. His hits greatly outweigh his misses. Then ppl like T Gena try to downplay the impact of his hits. It’s like, yeah he missed on Claypool, Velus, & Davis but damn he’s hit big with Sweat, Swift, DJ & Byard. Good lord, he’s done this… Read more »
@BearDownTX —
The challenge still stands:
Identify something I’ve written that is not true.
I’ll be waiting…
@Dr. Melhus — As I have stated in the past: “D’Andre Swift is not a terrible player. He simply is a player that does not strike fear in the heart of opponents — and in my opinion, Ryan Poles made an impetuous move when he signed Swift to a three-year, $24 million contract — within 15 minutes of the ‘legal tampering period.'” I’ve referred to Swift as a “hit or miss” RB. He breaks a nice run — and then drops like a stone, on the next five or six carries. If Poles wanted a RB to run the wide-zone,… Read more »