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The Chicago Bears have interviewed multiple general manager candidates, including Indianapolis Colts director of college scouting Morocco Brown and Pittsburgh Steelers vice president and top negotiator Omar Khan, but they seem to have zeroed in on one candidate in particular: Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles.
Poles is scheduled for his second interview with the Bears on Jan. 25, and one top team insider, Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog, tweeted this on Jan. 24: “I believe they have zeroed in on Ryan Poles and if his interview goes well tomorrow, they may not let him leave.”
The Bears aren’t the only team interested in Poles. He was a finalist for the New York Giants‘ GM position, and Chicago’s NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, have narrowed their search down to either Poles or Browns VP of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, as first reported by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
Based on subsequent reports, Poles may be Minnesota’s top choice. “From a few conversations I had this morning, my understanding is that the Vikings want Ryan Poles to be their next GM but it might depend on whether Chicago makes him a better offer. So we wait and see,” Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller tweeted on Jan. 22.
Can the Bears beat the Vikings off the field by signing the GM candidate they both covet? We’ll know soon enough.
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Ryan Poles: Background & History
Poles, 36, is a former offensive lineman who has a minor past connection to the team. He played offensive line at Boston College from 2003-07 before signing with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008. His playing days didn’t last long, as he began his career as an executive-in-training the following year.
Poles got his start in the NFL in 2009 as a player personnel assistant with the Chiefs. In 2010, he began an eight-year stint in the Chiefs’ college scouting department, primarily serving as scouting administrator. In 2017, he was promoted to director of college scouting, and was named assistant director of player personnel the following year.
Currently executive director of player personnel for Kansas City, Poles has worked under an impressive group of football executives, sticking around through multiple different regimes that included Scott Pioli (a three-time Super Bowl-winning exec with the New England Patriots), John Dorsey (a two-time Super Bowl-winning exec with the Green Bay Packers) and Brett Veach (Kansas City’s current Super Bowl-winning GM).
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Bears’ GM Search Should Reach Conclusion Soon
Those wondering where Poles’ strengths lie need only to look at the roster the Chiefs have currently. He was part of the brain trust that helped assemble a team that includes All-Pros Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.
In February of 2021, Poles discussed his role in Kansas City with Buffalo Plus, revealing a bit about what his job with the Chiefs has entailed.
“I oversee all of our scouts that live across the country, make sure the information is coming in,” Poles said. “Do we know the player, their background, what they’re about? Do they love football? Their intelligence. And then I’m able to get that information and hand it over to our general manager and our head coach so that we make really good decisions and try to bring in the best players for our system as possible.”
If hired, this would be his first GM job, and we should know soon enough whether he’s the guy the Bears want. Chicago had better decide soon, particularly with the Vikings also heavily in the mix.
“Several league sources predicted that a decision for both jobs could happen as soon as Wednesday or Thursday this week,” Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported on Monday, Jan. 24.
The Bears seem serious about Poles, as chairman George McCaskey was spotted picking Poles up in person at O’Hare airport on Jan. 24. Expect a decision from the Bears soon.
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