Ryan Poles May Have Hinted At What He'll Do If He Changes Quarterbacks

The lingering question for the Chicago Bears is becoming obvious. Will they change quarterbacks again after the 2023 season? It certainly looks that way. Justin Fields is off to a rough start, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns. He's already 0-2 this season and 5-22 as a starter overall. GM Ryan Poles committed to him this year because he felt the former 1st round pick deserved an opportunity to grow with more help across the roster. Fields hasn't progressed thus far. Poles has preached patience, feeling there is a chance the quarterback figures things out as the season progresses.

However, the signs are growing that this might be who Fields is. He's an elite athlete with jaw-dropping physical traits. Yet he's also too inconsistent as a passer to be considered reliable. Rumors persist that Poles is prepared to make a change at quarterback, presuming he keeps his job after what looks to be another ugly season. Chicago has two 1st round picks next year. The opportunity will be ideal to find one of his choosing. What nobody knows is how Poles will approach it. Every GM is different when it comes to quarterback evaluation.

Thankfully, he may have offered a hint.

Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune called back to an interesting comment from Poles last year. He alluded to the necessity to focus on what a quarterback does well, not what his faults are. That is what led the Kansas City Chiefs to Patrick Mahomes.

Shortly after the Bears hired him last year, Poles reflected on the important lessons he learned from that treasure find, perhaps most significantly the need to prioritize the special skills a player has over his worrisome faults.

“Sometimes,” Poles told the Tribune, “as scouts and evaluators, we get stuck on the flaws and ignore what the player can do. That, with (Mahomes), was one thing that stood out. What Patrick could do was make plays a lot of people just can’t. Were there some flaws in terms of technique and fundamentals? Yeah. But those can be coached (away).”

Ryan Poles won't be afraid to take a risk.

He already has certain priorities in quarterback evaluation. Those were revealed during an episode of 1920 Football Drive. He values accuracy, decision-making, and arm strength in that order. Nothing is mentioned about size or athleticism. For Poles, a quarterback must be able to put the ball where he wants and not be reckless. If that means taking a gamble on somebody with certain question marks about their size, fundamentals, or background, then so be it.

His stance is justified by the comments made by former Bears exec Josh Lucas during an interview with Waddle & Silvy. He admitted the team loved Mahomes ahead of the 2017 draft, but they were too scared to pull the trigger.

“We felt we were taking the less risky player (Trubisky). We knew what kind of defense we were putting together. We wanted someone who had a high floor even if we knew the ceiling was a little bit lower.

“We thought that Patrick Mahomes was a much more risky selection, a more volatile (player) with a greater chance of missing. Obviously, we were wrong.”

That is not a mistake Ryan Poles wants to make. He's not ready to give up on Fields yet. Still, that decision is approaching. Barring an unexpected turnaround, the Bears will be back on the QB market next spring. If so, expect the GM to focus on guys who can do "special" things. All the talk of them having technical flaws can and should be ignored.