The Chicago Bears have reportedly agreed to a three-year contract extension with general manager Ryan Poles, which will run through the 2029 NFL season, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday (July 11).
"ESPN sources: the Bears and general manager Ryan Poles have reached agreement on a contract extension that ties him to Chicago for the next five years, through the 2029 season. Poles had two years remaining on his old deal, but now the Bears have him and new head coach Ben Johnson both under contract for a matching five seasons," Schefter wrote on his X account.
Poles took over as the Bears' general manager in 2022, having traded the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers in return for wide receiver D.J. Moore and the Panthers' first-round and second-round picks in that same draft, as well as their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which ended up also being the No. 1 overall pick used on quarterback Caleb Williams and their 2025 second-round pick used on wide receiver Luther Burden in April. The 39-year-old is also credited with hiring former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the Bears' new head coach this past offseason, a hire that was widely praised by NFL media and fans.
"Since being hired in 2022, Ryan Poles has overseen a full-scale rebuild in Chicago — highlighted by the blockbuster trade of the No. 1 pick in 2023 to Carolina, which helped position the Bears to land Caleb Williams the following year. Poles also hired Ben Johnson this offseason, signaling a new era of Bears football built around its franchise quarterback," Schefter wrote on his X account.