When Ryan Poles became the general manager of the Chicago Bears in 2022, the team was in a dire state. The team finished 6-11 in 2021 and had just fired both head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace. The team was getting old and going nowhere. He had one option, and that was to completely tear down the team and start over.
In his first draft as the Bears' general manager, in which they did not have the first-round pick after they traded it to the New York Giants to move up to pick quarterback Justin Fields the year before, Poles drafted cornerback Kyler Gordon from Washington in the second round, 39th overall.
Four years later, the Bears rewarded him with a three-year contract extension worth $40 million Sunday, making him the highest-paid slot corner in the NFL, and becoming the latest team to extend their secondary star.
Ryan Poles and the Bears take care of important business with the extension of Kyler Gordon
Poles said he wanted to take care of Gordon, and he sure made good of their words. While many will remember Gordon for his Spider-Man backflips and shooting a web after he makes a play, he has recorded five interceptions in four years. Though he gets overshadowed by his Pro Bowl teammate, Jaylon Johnson, his contract extension indicates how much the Bears value him and how much is expected of him under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
While Poles has made questionable personnel decisions, such as acquiring Chase Claypool in 2022 by giving up a 2023 second-round pick, only to trade him to the Miami Dolphins almost a year later for a 2025 sixth-round pick, he has built up the roster through the draft by drafting Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, Gervon Dexter, Darnell Wright, Rome Odunze and quarterback Caleb Williams. With three picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, Poles and the Bears are expected to add more talent and are in a win-now mode after going 15-36 in the last three years.
Despite some hiccups, Gordon's contract extension is a vindication for Poles to see his first draft pick turning himself into a terrific player. He hopes that his other draft picks will now step up and play well enough to help him win more games moving forward.