The contract extension keeps Poles tied to Chicago through 2029.
The Bears have signed general manager Ryan Poles to a three-year extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Friday.
Poles reportedly had two more years left on his deal, but this extension adds three more seasons to his existing deal. It ties him to Chicago through the 2029 season, which matches up with the length of head coach Ben Johnson’s contract, as Schefter pointed out.
The 39-year-old Poles got hired as the Bears’ general manager in 2022, inheriting a roster that was in dire need of a rebuild. His first major move was hiring Matt Eberflus as the head coach, one which ultimately backfired.
Since Poles’ appointment as general manager, the Bears have gone 15-36 in the three seasons that have followed. The results haven’t seen it all come together on the field yet, but there’s reason to be optimistic around this Bears roster.
For one, the Bears have a talented young quarterback in Caleb Williams. Poles’ decision to trade out of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was instrumental in landing Williams, as the No. 1 pick in 2024 was the selection Chicago got from the Panthers in the trade. The move also landed key building blocks like DJ Moore and Darnell Wright.
As Poles enters his fourth year as the Bears’ general manager, expectations are higher than they’ve been in previous years. Additions like Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Colston Loveland and Luther Burden should be very helpful for a Chicago offense that struggled in 2024. Bringing in Johnson, one of the league’s best offensive play callers as the offensive coordinator in Detroit, should help out, as well.
Financial terms of the extension have not yet been announced.