Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is committed to the game of football. However, overworking is not a virtue; balance is necessary to live a healthy, productive life, and Poles have not mastered that art form.
After receiving the Bears job in 2022, Poles started sleeping in his office not to miss a minute of crucial preparation time for the 2022 NFL draft. An extreme move but one that he regretfully felt was necessary; he even reportedly brought in a foam mattress for the overnight stays.
Standing And Sleeping On Principle
“That was not healthy doing that last year,” Poles said to ESPN. “I don’t ever want to go through that again. But it was necessary to get the job done, so a little bit different approach.”
The penchant to work too much occurred before the NFL draft, as Poles reportedly worked more than +60 hours per week at Bears HQ. Three months after his hiring in the Chi on Jan. 25, Poles slept at Halas Hall during his first draft.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It set the culture here,” assistant GM Ian Cunningham said to ESPN.
Poles worked football, ate football, drank football, and ultimately slept football in the halls of his football club as the GM.
However, fans were hating on him, saying it wasn’t enough, and in the land of ‘Da Bears, after being starved of championships and overall good news, Poles has felt the pressure in Illinois.
“60 hours a week? That’s it. No wonder they sucked,” a Twitter user named @BearfaninCA posted. “Construction workers, police and fire, and medical workers work twice that. Come with a better story.”
Hard Work. Dedication.
Still, he delivered a good draft class in 2022.
Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker were his first two picks, which feel like solid choices after good rookie seasons. Braxton Jones, his fifth-round pick, immediately impacted the starting left tackle spot, becoming the only Bears player to play every single offensive snap.
Then there are Zachary Thomas, Velus Jones Jr., Trestan Ebner, and Elijah Hicks, who haven’t amounted to much. Although they were sans a first-round draft pick, the overnight dedication yielded a decent draft for the Bears, filling key deficiencies in their roster.
More than anything, he has transformed the team’s culture and shown what dedication looks like, a mattress on an office floor.
