That didn’t take long. One night after Chicago Bears chairman George Halas McCaskey picked up Ryan Poles at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the NFC North franchise has hired the former Kansas City Chiefs executive as their new general manager and the replacement for Ryan Pace.
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Ryan Poles’ first job is finding a new head coach
Now, the next steps for the Bears are pivotal. In Poles, Chicago is adding a proven talent evaluator who worked his way up the Chiefs’ scouting ladder. He briefly played for the Bears as an undrafted free agent from Boston College. The Bears can now include Poles in selecting a new head coach.
Where are the Bears in the process of picking a new head coach?
The Bears are interviewing former Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell for the second time on Tuesday, January 25. Caldwell has connections to Bears consultant Bill Polian, a former Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, and Carolina Panthers general manager. Caldwell and Polian were together in Indianapolis between 2002 and 2011. They both left the team in 2011 after the Colts went 2-14.
Caldwell, 67, has impressed teams with his attention to detail, knowledge of personnel, and leadership ability in interviews, according to league sources.
The Bears are also working to schedule a second interview with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Additionally, they are planning a first interview with New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is another candidate under consideration.
For Poles, the next steps are simple. He’ll assemble a personnel department and bolster the Bears’ roster to complement quarterback Justin Fields. Additionally, he’ll help McCaskey, Polian, and team president Ted Phillips pick a head coach he can align with to try to turn things around in Chicago.