Bears and GM Poles agree to contract extension

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears believe they are in position to break through and start winning, so much so that they agreed to a contract extension with general manager Ryan Poles through the 2029 season. A person familiar with the terms confirmed the agreement Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn't announced the new deal. The Bears are coming off a last-place finish in the NFC North. They are 15-36 in three years under Poles and have two double-digit losing streaks during his tenure. The Bears lost their final 10 games in 2022 while in a teardown mode as part of a franchise-worst 14-game slide, and dropped 10 in a row in 2024 before closing the season with a win at Green Bay. They fired former coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29, a day after he mismanaged the clock at the end of a 23-20 loss at Detroit. Poles' biggest move as Chicago's general manager was when he traded the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft to Carolina for receiver DJ Moore and the Panthers' first-rounder in 2024. They used it to take quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall. Williams' arrival helped spark a surge in optimism around Chicago a year ago. The Bears instead wound up being one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. The Bears have six straight non-winning seasons, and have made the playoffs just three times since the 2006 team advanced to the Super Bowl. But they believe they are in position to make a move in the NFC after another busy offseason. Poles made a huge splash when he hired coach Ben Johnson, the most sought-after candidate on the market after spending the past three seasons as the Lions offensive coordinator under Dan Campbell. He joined Detroit's staff in 2019 following a seven-year run as an assistant with the Miami Dolphins. The Bears are banking on his creativity and attention to detail to help Williams, a former Heisman Trophy winner, develop into a franchise quarterback. Hiring Johnson wasn't the only big move by Poles. The Bears acquired two-time All-Pro guard Joe Thuney from Kansas City and signed him to a two-year, $35 million contract extension. They also acquired guard Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams, signed center Drew Dalman and drafted Boston College tackle Ozzy Trapilo in the second round in an effort to protect Williams, who was sacked a franchise-record and league-leading 68 times. Poles didn't ignore the defense. The Bears added two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo. They also retained two key players by extending cornerback Kyler Gordon through 2028 and linebacker T.J. Edwards through 2027. ___ AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl