In the minds of most Chicago Bears fans, head coach Matt Eberflus has worn out his welcome. He still hasn’t shown any progress as a late-game strategist or a situational decision-maker. Forget the idea that he can construct a cohesive offensive foundation to develop a young quarterback. However, many aren’t ready to stop there. GM Ryan Poles is catching lots of heat lately, too. Much of it stems from the fact that he hired Eberflus and failed to construct an adequate offensive line to protect his quarterback.
Some are losing faith that he can get the critical pieces in place to finally get over the hump. He’s done some great things. The D.J. Moore trade was a thing of beauty. He’s constructed a talented and deep defense. Rome Odunze already looks like a keeper. Caleb Williams has flashed loads of potential. Poles has made his share of mistakes, but he seems to have the team pointed in a good direction. Still, the lack of winning may work against him soon. Is he in trouble? Not according to what Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune is hearing.
Reading the tea leaves, I don’t think Poles’ future is tied to that of Eberflus. A wild card is in play now with Kevin Warren atop the franchise as CEO and president, but any call of that nature probably has to be made by Chairman George McCaskey. I’ve gotten the sense all along that Poles and Warren are aligned in their vision, and generally speaking, GMs get two chances to hire a head coach. That’s not always the case, but in a lot of situations it plays out that way…
…Is it fair to have expected more from the team this season? Sure. Some of the losses, especially the 29-9 beatdown in Arizona, have been troubling. The offensive line remains an ongoing issue and needs to be Priority 1 this offseason. But I don’t think Poles’ fate is tied to Eberflus at this point.
Ryan Poles may not be willing to make the tough call.
The Bears GM is pragmatic most of the time. He’ll move on from players when it’s clear they are no longer helpful to the team. Eberflus might be a different case. It has been clear that Poles is loyal to his head coach. The two share a strong partnership. Their vision for the organization is the same. Asking him to move off a guy he believes in and trusts isn’t easy. Loyalty is a big thing with Poles. It always has been. There is a chance the GM will resist the calls to fire Eberflus even if the team finishes with a disappointing record.
At that point, one of two things will happen. Ownership will acquiesce to his wishes, granting Ryan Poles one more year to figure things out. Or they will insist he make a change. If he refuses, that may force them to clean house. Much of what happens could be determined over the next two weeks. A loss to the lowly New England Patriots, followed by another potential blowout defeat against Green Bay, could put Poles in an awkward spot. Whether he sees sense at that point is anybody’s guess.
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