LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The scars from Sunday night are fresh. You could hear it in his voice. You could see it in the way he gripped the podium.
Three days after a gut-wrenching 20-17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round, Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles didn’t hide from the disappointment. But unlike the “burn it down” vibes of Januarys past, this press conference hit different. The message wasn’t about rebuilding. It was about reloading.
For the first time in years, the Bears aren’t selling hope; they’re selling results. After finishing the 2025 regular season 11-6 and knocking out the Packers 31-27 in the Wild Card round, Poles made one thing clear: The window is wide open.
“We’re not happy. Nobody is happy,” Poles said, his eyes scanning the room. “But we aren’t lost, either. We know exactly who we are now.”
The “magical” first year under Head Coach Ben Johnson didn’t end with a Lombardi, but it established a lethal identity. Caleb Williams wasn’t just a rookie flashing potential; he was the engine. And while the defense broke late against the Rams, the foundation is rock solid.
“That locker room is hurting because they know we had it. We had them on the ropes. But I told Ben [Johnson] this morning—that pain is fuel. We aren’t hunting for a quarterback anymore. We’re hunting for a ring.” — Ryan Poles, Chicago Bears GM
Poles didn’t dodge the hard questions about the defensive front. While the offense surged under Johnson, the pass rush vanished in critical moments against Matthew Stafford Sunday night.
The GM signaled an aggressive offseason approach to the defensive line. With salary cap flexibility and a solidified QB1, expect Chicago to be buyers, not sellers. “We need to finish,” Poles noted, referencing the inability to close out the Rams in the fourth quarter. “And finishing starts up front.”
The NFC North belongs to the Lions no longer. The Bears proved they are the new heavyweight contenders in the division. Now, the focus shifts to the 2026 NFL Draft and free agency in March.
The to-do list is short but expensive:
- Find a premier Edge Rusher to pair with the interior pressure.
- Extend key veterans before the market resets.
- Depth, Depth, Depth. The injuries in the secondary exposed the roster’s thin spots late in the year.
The 2025 season is over. But for Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears, the real work—the championship work—starts today.
