The Chicago Bears are 0-2 after a disappointing 52-21 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Dropping two straight games to division rivals is less than ideal, but that's the hole Chicago needs to get itself out of. It's time to turn the page and move forward.
While head coach Ben Johnson is only two games in his Chicago tenure, general manager Ryan Poles is in his fourth season here, and it's safe to say he hasn't seen much success. Back in July, Chicago and Poles agreed on a three-year extension through 2029. Fast forward to now, and the Bears look like they might regret their long-term commitment.
Bears Giving Ryan Poles Extension Looks Questionable
While the Bears extended Poles so he and Johnson could have matching contracts, that wasn't the right call. Bill Zimmerman of Audacy Sports pointed out that Poles has a 28.3% win percentage in the GM chair. He's averaging just 4.8 wins per season and has yet to showcase that he can build a winner. Instead of letting his contract play out, ownership decided to lock him down for the foreseeable future.
The Bears believed they would be playoff contenders this year, but that fantasy hasn't translated over to the field. In Sunday's loss to the Lions, they looked completely overmatched as Detroit racked up 511 total yards with 8.8 yards per play.
Despite having 339 total yards of offense, the Bears only scored 21 points. They also had two 2025 second-round picks in Ozzy Trapilo and Shemar Turner as healthy scratches. For a team that hasn't produced on the field recently, having two high draft picks on the sideline seems like poor asset management.
Meanwhile, Luther Burden, another second-round pick, can't get involved in the offense. He has just two catches for two yards in 2025. Meanwhile, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was getting picked on in coverage throughout the entire matchup, and the Bears' social media community was ripping on him for his performance — another indictment of Poles' poor draft evaluation.
Poles has been given a boatload of draft picks and cap space to improve this roster, but he has failed to do so. The Bears still don't look like a team that is ready to compete, and a lot of that falls on the man in charge.
From what history says and how the Bears have played in 2025, they made a massive mistake in extending Poles through 2029, and time will tell if he'll survive the full contract.