NFL Exec Believes Ryan Poles Chose Bears Because Of Justin Fields

George McCaskey made sure his hunt for a new GM was as thorough as possible. He interviewed several candidates, trying to be as fair as possible. It became clear immediately that his favorite was Ryan Poles, the Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel. There was one big problem, though. The Minnesota Vikings felt the same way. McCaskey was warned that if Poles was allowed to interview with them a second time, he’d likely end up running their team. So the Bears chairman adjusted the schedule to meet with him first.

McCaskey got his guy. Poles accepted the job and has since begun retooling the roster into what he plans to be a winner. What hasn’t been clear is what part Justin Fields played in all of this. The young quarterback is exceedingly talented. That isn’t a question. However, his rookie year can best be described as inconsistent. People aren’t sure whether he can take the next step.

One NFL executive wouldn’t worry about that.

Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog spoke to one with whom he’s had a long relationship over the years. He was asked if inheriting Fields changes the dynamic of evaluating the quarterback position. The answer he got was enlightening. From the sound of it, Poles likely wouldn’t have taken the Bears job if he didn’t think the young QB could hack it.

“It doesn’t. They will evaluate Fields like they would any young player, and that evaluation started the second they walked into the building. Ryan could have taken the Minnesota job, convinced them to move on from Kirk, which wouldn’t have been that hard, and drafted his own quarterback next year in a great quarterback class. He didn’t. He thinks Fields can be his guy. I agree with him. But he has the luxury of being able to move on from Fields too.”

It’s true. Most agree that 2022 will be Cousins’ final season in Minnesota. New GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will be in a position to draft his own quarterback next year. If Poles wanted the opportunity to get a guy of his choosing, he’d have prioritized the Vikings’ job. Instead, he came to Chicago. That speaks not only to McCaskey’s ability to convince him but also his confidence in what Fields can become.

Ryan Poles wants to help Fields by giving him a great team.

Yes, that means improving the offense, but it also means improving the defense. If Fields is going to achieve all of his career goals, he’ll need a complete roster. It would’ve been nice if the Bears had been able to spend more resources on offense. Unfortunately, he didn’t have that luxury. The team had no 1st round pick in the draft and limited spending money due to bloated contracts and the COVID-19 pandemic slamming the salary cap.

Despite that, nobody can say Ryan Poles completely abandoned his quarterback. With help from Matt Eberflus, they’ve put a proven offensive system in place under Luke Getsy. Wide receivers Byron Pringle and Velus Jones should add more explosiveness in the passing game. The depth along the offensive line also improved with four draft picks. It isn’t the immediate jolt many hoped for, but it’s a start. Ryan Poles isn’t expecting miracles from Fields.

The 2022 season will be about steady progress.

He wants to see his young quarterback make strides in operation and efficiency. Lower the turnovers, learn how to protect himself better, and increase the number of positive plays. If his passer rating jumps into the mid-90s, that will be a success. Then Poles can get started on the real work in 2023.