LAKE FOREST – It took a little over two weeks, but it looks like the Bears have their general manager,
Per numerous reports, the first from Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bears are hiring Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles as their next general manager. The team has yet to confirm the move.
The 36-year old had his second interview with the team scheduled today and was even seen at O’Hare Airport with Bears chairman George McCaskey on Monday night, per Eric Bohn.
Poles has been in the Chiefs organization since 2009 as he’s served in a number of roles during his 13 years in Kansas City. He took over as the executive director of player personnel just this season after serving as the assistant director for the previous three seasons.
His claim to fame is being the director of college scouting for the team in 2017 when they selected four-time Pro Bowl and 2018 MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
In some ways, this is a bit of a homecoming for Poles, who was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent by the team after his time at Boston College as an offensive lineman. He didn’t make the team’s final roster and began his front office career soon after.
After spending time as a recruiting assistant at Boston College, Poles joined the team in 2009 as a player personnel assistant before becoming the college scouting administrator the next year. He served in that position till 2013 when he was promoted to a college scouting director before getting the full director of college scouting job in 2017.
Following a year in that role, Poles then became assistant director of player personnel, which he held for the next three seasons before being named the executive director this past year.