The Chicago Bears understood the pressure they were under. GM Ryan Poles kickstarted a rebuild in 2022, feeling the team wasn’t well-constructed. He had to clean everything out and build it the right way. Most rebuilds shouldn’t take longer than three years. That means this coming season, Poles’ fourth with the team, is the moment of truth. He has to produce a winner this year. His work during the offseason spoke to that sense of urgency. The Bears were active from the jump, swinging trades, signing notable free agents, and taking calculated risks on high-upside names in the draft. Did they get carried away? Kyle Long doesn’t think so.
While the former Pro Bowl guard may have deep affection for the franchise from his playing days, he’s been plenty critical of them in recent years. Appearing on the Push The Pile podcast with Mike Renner, he made his thoughts on the Bears’ offseason clear.
It sounds like the additions of Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Colston Loveland can immediately impact the team’s fortunes. He also has high hopes for Luther Burden, though the reported maturity issue must be acknowledged. If things go as teh Bears plan, this offseason can push them straight into contention for the division and beyond.
Kyle Long has experienced this situation before.
He was part of the Bears’ rebuild in the 2010s when Ryan Pace took over in 2015. He endured the brutal process that eventually culminated in that memorable 2018 season. The team had gotten close then, but what they’d built wasn’t sustainable. Pace had burned too many resources getting them to that point and had misfired at quarterback with Mitch Trubisky. This time around feels different. Caleb Williams already looks like a viable long-term option at quarterback. Poles has built a deep and talented supporting cast around him. Now he’s brought in one of the best play callers in the NFL with Johnson. Kyle Long has plenty of reasons to give the Bears high marks. If he’s on board, it is another good sign for what is coming.
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