The Chicago Bears have rewarded general manager Ryan Poles with a contract extension that will keep him with the team for the next five seasons, per multiple reports. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday afternoon and registered as somewhat surprising timing as the Bears prepare to report to training camp later this month.

Ryan Poles first joined the Chicago Bears as general manager in the 2022 offseason, following the ousting of former GM Ryan Pace and debuted to mixed reviews. H

From an organizational standpoint, having your GM and coach in lockstep contractually does make things a bit more structured. That said, the Bears are 15-36 over the course of Poles' tenure, so this extension is a bit of a leap of faith by the franchise.