One of the highlights from the season-ending press conference held by Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles was his response to a question about the challenges ahead and how he reacted to a quick, playful question about trading for Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
For what it’s worth, Crosby has publicly expressed his admiration for Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams. So with his future in Vegas up in the air based on events that happened late in the season, I have a feeling that this is a storyline that will be one we’ll follow intently throughout the offseason.
Kudos to The BIGS’ Herb Howard, whose line of questioning led to an insightful response from the Bears’ GM:
#Bears GM Ryan Poles enters this Offseason w/ a different challenge than he’s had in past years. I asked him about that at his press conference this Morning…and then I had a little Maxx Crosby fun with him.#TheBIGS #ItsUS ?: @jlamedia8 @TheBigsMedia pic.twitter.com/r3HfZmejRQ
— Herb Howard (@HerbHoward411) January 21, 2026I’m ready for an offseason of Maxx Crosby rumors
What is going to stand out about this exchange is how Bears GM Ryan Poles gives a little smirk and an “I don’t know” in response to the “so Maxx Crosby isn’t coming?” question. But what should stand out is how Poles addresses his offseason plan to improve the Bears. So let’s bulletpoint some highlights from the 90-second clip above:
“We’re going to identify guys that fit what we want on our football team, which coat hit. And you just keep trying to acquire those players. We know what they look like, we know how they act, we know how they talk, and we’ll continue to do that.”
This past offseason, we saw a change in the types of players the Bears were targeting in the player acquisition process — both in terms of pro personnel via trades and free agency, as well as through the NFL Draft. The apparent change in philosophy helped this team re-tool a roster that hadn’t had a winning season during the Ryan Poles regime and turned it into an 11-win division champion that won its first playoff game in 15 years.
“I think that’s part of the thing. One, can you self-evaluate and be critical of yourself and your team to make sure that you know what you have in the building. And then can you just keep pounding away, and sticking to your process? You make tweaks, of course. But stick to the process of bringing in the right types of people, and it usually works out for you.”
I found the self-scouting aspect of Poles’ answer to be interesting. Part of that is rooted in feeling like this front office hadn’t done a great job of self-scouting before Ben Johnson came on board as the head coach. Sure, some of that lack of success in the self-scouting department had to do with the coaching staff and their vision of what winning ballplayers looked like. However, the buck stops at the top with the general manager. So to hear him talk about making tweaks to the process was one of the most encouraging things I’ve heard from Chicago’s GM.
© David Banks-Imagn Images“You see it across the league all the time where you panic and you want to do crazy things that everybody else wants you to do. It leads to some situations that you can’t get out of. So we want to stay flexible. We want to stay open-minded. We want to stay committed to building this team the right way because I think that’s the best way to sustain succcess.”
Ryan Poles mentioning pulling off a panic move that others want you to make felt like it was a self-reflection moment because there are several transactions he has made that could fit that description — with the most notable one being the trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool. If Poles has actually learned from that misstep, then I will truly feel better about the Bears franchise moving forward with him as the team’s general manager. Staying flexible and open-minded while avoiding the pitfalls of past mistakes isn’t easy. Then again, nothing in life that is worth anything is easy.
“We’re always going to be opportunitistic. We’re going to go through opportunities that pop up and talk through them. Is this best for us short term? Is it best for us long term? And then we’ll move from there.”
It is immediately after this moment in which Poles is asked about Maxx Crosby, which led to the “I don’t know quip.” That wasn’t a no, folks. Game on!
To be clear, I would not have expected Poles to publicly express interest in a Crosby trade, not being immediately dismissive with the question feels telling. This isn’t to say the Bears are going to get hot and heavy in a pursuit of the Raiders star pass-rusher. However, Poles has shown an affinity for making big splashes. So it cannot be ruled out. And while there is a lot that needs to happen before we cross that bridge, just know that there is a lot of time between now and when we get to said bridge (let alone walk across it).
Maxx Crosby pressures Bears quarterback Caleb Williams at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn ImagesCHECK OUT A NEW EPISODE OF THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
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