Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles staying ‘open-minded’ as he evaluates whether to keep Justin Fields or draft a QB at No. 1

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles staying ‘open-minded’ as he evaluates whether to keep Justin Fields or draft a QB at No. 1

At Halas Hall on Wednesday, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles reiterated a well-known statement while outlining his impending assessment of the team’s quarterback position.

Poles stated he would need to be “blown away” by a quarterback prospect in order to select one at No. 1 as he gets

ready to decide whether the Bears will continue to use Justin Fields in 2024.

Poles said the same thing about the quarterback class last year, and he ended up trading the number one choice.

Poles said the same thing about the quarterback class last year, and he ended up trading the number one choice.

This draft, however, is different, and Poles has stated that he is keeping his options open as the Bears enter

“information-gathering mode” regarding a group of quarterback prospects that include Caleb Williams of USC,

Drake Maye of North Carolina, Jayden Daniels of LSU, Michael Penix Jr. of Washington, and J.J. McCarthy of

Michigan.

Poles claimed that as he considers all of the possible outcomes, his “brain has gone crazy.” He promised to be “open-

minded,” and he went on to say that he’s available to talk over the phone about prospective trade proposals.

Therefore, even though the Bears made announcements on Wednesday regarding their coaching staff—firing

offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and keeping Matt Eberflus—their quarterback choice is still in doubt.

Poles declared, “We’re going to look under every rock to make sure we’re going to make the right decision for our

organization.” “I did believe Justin improved. He can lead this team, in my opinion. However, there is a special

circumstance wherein our staff and I must consider every possibility.

The oddity, of course, is having the top choice for a second consecutive year.

Last year’s class, which featured Anthony Richardson, C.J. Stroud, and Bryce Young, did not completely overwhelm

the Bears. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Poles received bids for the first pick. On March 15, he struck a deal to trade

the choice to the Carolina Panthers.

However, he may not be following the same schedule this offseason, which gets underway with the Indianapolis combine on February 27.

Poles declared, “As of right now, I’m going to take this all the way to April.”

Poles thinks the Bears will spend a significant amount of time researching the “person” behind each quarterback

possibility in the coming months. According to Poles, the process entails spending time getting to know the prospect

personally and having one-on-one conversations with them about their questions.

Poles remarked, “I’m really confident in our ability to spot talent on the field.” The human being is something we

must understand. especially in this city as a quarterback. You must have it correctly. You must possess mental

fortitude. You must possess the ability to ignore things.

“There’s pressure to be the best, to overcome obstacles, and to take that team to the next level whenever you have an

ardent fan base. The fans are clamoring for that person to pull that off. That’s a part of being a general manager or

head coach in a large city, as well as part of living there. You must be able to ignore the noise, have thick skin, and

continue working through the highs and lows. Your family also needs to do it. You want those who are willing to

accept the challenge.

Fields can tune out the noise, according to Bears coaches. Simply said, he didn’t make as much progress on the field

under Getsy and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko—who was also fired on Wednesday.

Evaluations of Fields’ current state of play.

After Fields ran for 657 yards and four scores in 2023 and completed 2,562 yards of passing with 16 touchdowns and

nine interceptions, Poles and Eberflus provided their usual evaluations of Fields’ current state of play.

After recovering from a dislocated right thumb, Fields reduced his number of sacks and turnovers in the second half

of the season. He also improved his passing game, notably by keeping his eyes downfield when throwing, according to Eberflus.

However, Poles mentioned Fields’ two-minute offense when asked what area he still needed to work on.

This season, Fields’ fourth-quarter stats were six interceptions, three touchdown passes, and a passer rating of 53.4.

Poles stated, “That’s a crucial area that we need to keep improving at since that’s where you win games, close games.”

“And that’s usually where you close it out when you look at the playoffs and championships.”

Over the past few months, a number of Fields’ teammates, especially wide receiver DJ Moore, have expressed

support for him; nonetheless, Poles stated that Fields needs to keep that aspect of his judgment somewhat detached.

But Poles added, “I really adore it.” “I want that kind of support in the locker room when you talk about developing a

squad. When those men step onto the field, I want them to have faith in the player they have starting at quarterback.

I adore that because I want kids to have faith in both the left and the right people. I have to look at the big picture and remove any emotion from whatever decision I make.

Poles stated he wasn’t prepared to decide if the Bears would accept Fields’ fifth-year option, which is something they have to decide by May, considering all of the work that has to be done.

With Getsy fired, Fields would have to play in his third offensive in four seasons under a different coordinator if the

Bears wish to keep him. However, Eberflus sidestepped a query regarding the difficulties that might face Fields, who

hasn’t had the best roster or organizational support in his three seasons with the Bears.

Eberflus remarked, “Justin is incredibly intelligent and smart.” “I don’t see that being a problem at all because he can adjust and adapt.”
The Bears could also choose to retain Fields and select a quarterback at the first pick, giving the rookie behind Fields a year to develop or perhaps even a competition.

Poles remarked, “I’ll just stay very wide open with the different paths that we go.” And if gathering data causes some of those avenues to close, we’ll go to some of the remaining ones. However, I will be completely honest about this.

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