Chicago Bears 🐻⬇️

Ryan Poles enters his fifth season with the Bears in 2026 after being named the club's seventh general manager in franchise history on Jan. 25, 2022.

Ryan Poles enters his fifth season with the Bears in 2026 after being named the club's seventh general manager in franchise history on Jan. 25, 2022.

Upon his hire, Poles embarked on an in-depth, comprehensive process to restructure the club's roster and develop all areas surrounding organizational culture and the football operation of the Chicago Bears. Poles was instrumental in striking a deal with the Carolina Panthers in advance of the 2023 NFL Draft, leading to a flurry of enhancements to the Bears' roster over the next three seasons. Among other assets, the return included Carolina's first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which the Bears utilized to select quarterback Caleb Williams. Working with Head Coach Ben Johnson, Poles and his staff have continued to develop the roster to build on an NFC North Division Title and playoff victory during the 2025 season.

Ahead of the 2025 season, the Bears added four-time AP All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and Pro Bowl guard Jonah Jackson via trade. Thuney, along with right tackle Darnell Wright, whom the Bears selected in the 2023 Draft, were named to the AP All-Pro team, while center Drew Dalman earned Pro Bowl selection. As a whole the offensive allowed the third-fewest sacks in the NFL, propelling Williams to a sophomore season where he broke the Bears single season passing record (3,942) and set an NFL record for fewest interceptions through a passers first 1,000 career attempts (13). Offensively the Bears finished the regular season with the fewest giveaways in the NFL (11), and the second-most points scored off of takeaways in the league (104). The Bears registered the NFL's No. 3-ranked rushing offense in 2025 (144.5 rushing yards per game) and culminated the regular season with 441 points scored, third-most in a single season in franchise history.  Defensively, the Bears culminated the regular season with an NFL-best 33 takeaways, including 23 INTs, for a league-leading +22 turnover differential. Chicago's +22 turnover differential registered as the third-best in a single season by the Bears since at least 1960. The Bears captured an NFC North title and completed an 18-point comeback in the NFC Wild Card Round to defeat the division rival Green Bay Packers.

During the 2024 season, rookie quarterback Williams set franchise rookie records across all major statistical passing categories. Williams' season included a string of 353 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, good for not only an NFL rookie record, but the fourth-longest single-season streak in NFL history. Fellow first-round rookie, Odunze, finished the season with the fourth-most receptions (61) and receiving yards (734) by a rookie in franchise history. While punter Tory Taylor, another member of the Bears 2024 draft class, set single-season franchise records in both gross (47.7) and net (41.6) punting average. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears allowed touchdowns on just 46 percent of opponents redzone drives, the second-best rate in the NFL, while finishing top 10 in the NFL with 24 takeaways.

Poles comprised a roster in 2023 that helped lead Chicago with the league's top-ranked rush defense (86.4 yards per game) and finish the season with the No. 2 rushing offense in the NFL (141.1 yards per game). Defensively, the Bears ranked second in the league in fewest rushing touchdowns allowed (eight), putting forth a five-game span (Weeks 7-12) that the unit did not allow a single rushing touchdown. Conversely, Chicago's offense totaled the second-most first downs in the league (86). The Bears' four-win improvement from the 2022 season marked the largest year-over-year win improvement in over half a decade.

Poles and his staff oversaw a transition as the club went from one of the oldest rosters in the NFL at the end of the 2021 season, to one of the youngest teams in the league. Holding the No. 1 pick entering the 2023 Draft, Poles struck a deal with the Carolina Panthers on March 15, which brought in wide receiver DJ Moore in addition to the No. 9-overall selection and the 61st-overall pick in 2023, as well as a 2024 first-round selection and a 2025 second-round pick. The roster additions continued in free agency as Poles and his staff acquired veteran contributors along the defensive front and among the linebacker corps to support the eventual top-ranked defense. The Bears completed their most notable in-season move ahead of the trade deadline in Week 9, acquiring defensive lineman Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders via trade in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick.

With one of the youngest on-field rosters in 2022, the Bears posted a league-high 6,721 snaps from first-year players. Offensively, the club finished the 2022 season by setting a team rushing record with a league-best 3,019 rushing yards. Defensively, with the youngest on-field defense in the NFL, the club finished the season ranked among the top-10 in several categories: completions allowed (323, 6th), interception percentage (2.9 pct, 8th), interception yards (201, 9th) and fourth down conversions (six, 1st) to name a few. Chicago opened the 2022 season with several new pieces on the roster following a mix of trades, free agent signings and waiver claims. The Bears Week 1 roster featured 11 rookie debuts, the most by any team in the NFL int the 2022 season. The club's 2023 draft class also featured a large group with 10 total selections. The 2022-23 Bears draft classes were the first time since the start of the modern seven-round draft era that the Bears had consecutive classes with 10+ picks.

Prior to his arrival in Chicago, Poles spent 13 years within the front office of the Kansas City Chiefs, helping Kansas City comprise rosters that led to two Super Bowl appearances and a World Championship with a victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. In his 13th and final season with the Chiefs in 2021, Poles was named the club's Executive Director of Player Personnel. Initially joining the Chiefs in 2009 as a Player Personnel Assistant, Poles demonstrated his development and ascension through the ranks with Kansas City through holding the roles of College Scouting Administrator (2010-12), College Scouting Coordinator (2013-16), Director of College Scouting (2017), Assistant Director of Player Personnel (2018-20), ultimately leading to serving as the Executive Director of Player Personnel in 2021, helping the Chiefs win their second-straight AFC Championship.

During his 13 years in Kansas City, the Chiefs captured seven AFC West division championships, as Poles oversaw all aspects of the college scouting across the country for the Chiefs while assisting with the pro personnel process and preparing for free agency. He also assisted General Manager Brett Veach with the coordination of the NFL Draft and overseeing the team's out-of-town area scouts. Poles was instrumental in helping the Chiefs land top draft prospects such as quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, who have gone on to receive multiple All-Pro recognitions. In 2021, the Chiefs tied for second in the NFL with six Pro Bowl selections in Mahomes, Kelce, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, offensive tackle Orlando Brown, defensive tackle Chris Jones and safety Tyrann Mathieu and tied for first in the NFL with seven selections in 2020. In total, from 2009-21, the Chiefs had 69 Pro Bowl selections with 28 different players.

Prior to joining the Chiefs, Poles served as a Recruiting Assistant at his alma mater, Boston College (2008-09). Upon culmination of his collegiate career, Poles signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008.

The Canandaigua, N.Y., native played offensive tackle for five seasons for Boston College (2003-07), protecting former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan and playing alongside Bears Co-Director of Player Personnel Trey Koziol. Poles was honored with the Paul Cavanaugh Award in 2007 as the student-athlete with total commitment to football both on and off the field and for his dedication to volunteerism, ethics and community. He played his prep football at Canandaigua Academy in Canandaigua, N.Y.

Poles also was named to several "40 Under 40" lists: Ingram's Magazine in 2019, The Athletic in 2021 and the Chicago Magazine in 2024 & 2025. He graduated from Boston College in 2007 with a degree in communications. He and his wife, Katie, have two children: Mason and Jordyn.