GM: Bears ‘open-minded’ about top overall pick

Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterJan 10, 2024, 08:01 PM ET
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LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles will apply similar logic with his decision to either use the No. 1 pick in the draft or trade it away like he did last offseason.

Ahead of sending last year’s top pick to the Carolina Panthers in March 2023, Poles said he would need to be “blown away” by a quarterback in the draft to move on from then-second-year QB Justin Fields.

“I’ve got to stay open-minded about it,” Poles said Wednesday. “Not to use the same quote, but when I say, ‘I need to be blown away,’ it’s the same setup because seeing the things that Justin did this year, his ability to make plays … keeping his eyes down the field, taking less sacks, you see a lot of growth there where he can continue to get better. So, I’ll have the same mindset.”

The Bears possess two picks in the top 10 at Nos. 1 and 9. Poles said his staff is in “information gathering mode” right now with all their options at quarterback in addition to beginning the search for a new offensive coordinator after Luke Getsy was fired Wednesday.

Poles said a big part of his evaluation on Fields and where he needs to see continued improvement from the quarterback is “in two-minute situations. … That’s where you win games.”

“I did think Justin got better,” Poles said. “I think he can lead this team. But at the same time, there is a unique situation.”

During his season ending news conference, the general manager was asked about several scenarios the Bears could choose to pursue at quarterback, including one where the Bears stick with Fields but also draft a rookie.

“My brain has gone crazy all year just thinking about the million different scenarios,” the GM said. “And I’m sure that’s one of them. I’ll just stay very wide open with the different paths that we go, and as we collect information, if that closes some of those pathways down, then we’ll do that and move to some of the other ones, but I’m going to be wide open about this.”

USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy are the top-ranked quarterbacks in ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft. Over the next several months, the Bears will need to consider whether moving on to a rookie is more advantageous than sticking with Fields, who was drafted 11th overall by the Bears’ previous regime in 2021.

If Chicago commits to Fields for 2024, the quarterback will have to learn a new offense for a third time in four seasons, which the Bears don’t consider an impediment to his growth.

“Justin’s very smart, very intelligent,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “He’s able to adapt and adjust, so I don’t see that being a problem at all.”

Chicago has not yet decided whether to exercise Fields’ fifth-year option, which is an estimated $22 million, according to Over the Cap. The deadline to do so is May 2.

“We’ve got time before we’ve got to do that,” Poles said. “So there’s a lot of phases there. And again, we’ll make the best decision.”

Poles said he welcomes trade offers for the No. 1 pick and is “wide open to anything” that may be presented from other teams. The Bears made it clear the No. 1 pick was for sale ahead of the NFL’s scouting combine in 2023 and fielded several offers while in Indianapolis before sending the top pick to Carolina one week later.

This year, Poles says he’s in no hurry.

“In my mind right now, I’m going to take this all the way to April,” he said.