The Chicago Bears have not lived up to their billing as potential NFC North contenders by dropping back-to-back divisional games to start the season.
After allowing the Minnesota Vikings to mount an 11-point comeback victory in Week 1, the Bears were blown out in a 52-21 loss to Ben Johnson’s former Detroit Lions on Sunday.
It was an embarrassing loss for a team that overhauled its roster in the offseason and offered big-money contracts to several members of the defense.
Bears fans have seen this story before and have begun to call for major change at the top of the organization — the firing of general manager Ryan Poles.
“We used to say, ‘Let Poles cook’. Well, he cooked up inedible slop. Today is Trestman-y. The 2020s might be like the 90s,” one fan wrote on X. When they do make a switch, they need it so Pres picks GM, GM picks coach, and Coach/GM pick QB. Stop doing it out of order, Bears HQ!”
“Ryan Poles must be brought to justice for his crimes,” a second fan wrote.
Another fan questioned: “So … What’s his buyout?”
“This may be a dumb question,” a fourth fan preluded, “but is it even possible to fire him after this year?”
It’s a fair question. Poles signed a five-year contract extension in the offseason that seemed to offer him job security heading into his fourth season as general manager.
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In that span, Poles has not seen a single player he’s drafted or signed earn Pro Bowl honors.
“Fire him and eat the money. He’s in over his head. He can’t build a roster or evaluate talent,” another fan added.
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The refresh of Poles’ contract seemingly put him in lockstep with first-year head coach Ben Johnson. However, the Bears find themselves back in a cyclical curse where the head coach, general manager and quarterback are not aligned.
It may just take one win to calm tensions in Chicago, and the Bears (0-2) have a chance to do that next, when they face the Dallas Cowboys (1-1).
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