Back in 2022, the Chicago Bears had Omar Khan sitting right there in their GM interviews. But instead, they decided to roll the dice on Ryan Poles. While Poles settled into Halas Hall, trying to rebuild the roster, Khan returned to Pittsburgh, got promoted to Steelers GM, and stacked up three winning seasons plus a pair of playoff berths. Fast forward to today, and Khan just landed a fresh contract extension. Poles? He’s still waiting.

That lingering silence sparked fan speculation—and soon enough, chants of “fire Ryan Poles” started echoing around Chicago. After all, the Bears had a 15-36 record and three losing seasons. But on Friday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that the Bears are finally signing their general manager to a contract extension.

“Sources: The #Bears are signing GM Ryan Poles to a contract extension, keeping him in Chicago for years to come. In a big offseason, with a new coaching staff, Poles isn’t going anywhere,” Rapoport reported. “Ben Johnson and Poles are now aligned.” Poles is reportedly signing a 5-year contract extension, despite being one of the worst GMs in the league.

As the other teams have already re-signed their general managers, especially the class of 2022, including Khan and the Vikings‘ GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, it was only a matter of time before the Bears gave Poles his extension. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, the Bears have signed Poles on a five-year contract extension, keeping him in Chicago through 2029, the same as the head coach Ben Johnson.

But there’s a wrinkle. Ryan Poles had his fair share of blunders as he struggled to achieve great success. The GM has a .275 winning percentage, zero playoff appearances, and 2x last place in the past three years. No wonder fans were clamoring for the Bears to show their GM the door. And even with a fresh contract extension finally in place, plenty of Chicago faithful aren’t exactly celebrating the news.

Fans believe Ryan Poles doesn’t deserve a contract extension

It’s no secret the Bears have struggled to escape the basement of the NFC North since Ryan Poles took the GM job in 2022. Despite inheriting a roster in need of a teardown, Poles’ rebuild has tested even the most patient supporters. From trading away Roquan Smith to banking on a series of short-lived veteran signings, Poles’ moves often sparked more questions than optimism. So when the word broke that the front office finally handed him a five-year extension, the reaction was predictably divided.

The Bears’ faithful pointed to Poles’ track record as reason enough to hold the confetti. “He doesn’t deserve it. Lmaooooo,” one fan summed it up with blunt disbelief. After all, when you rank near the bottom in wins across the league, any long-term vote of confidence is going to spark some eye rolls. “That’s really concerning,” another chimed in, echoing the anxiety that the Bears might be locking themselves into more mediocrity.

“As a Bears fan I don’t know if I’m happy about this,” one lifelong fan simply put it, who wanted to believe this rebuild will work, but ended up wrestling with conflicted emotions. Another didn’t mince words at all: “He sucks.” Ryan Poles failed as a general manager. He failed to deliver playoff football. He let the proven veteran walk. So yeah, it’s safe to say that the Bears’ GM has given critics plenty of ammunition.

One final punch? “He never did anything good in Chicago,” a comment that is fair or not, but captures exactly why this extension feels so polarizing.