Ryan Poles Is Crystal Clear On Plans For Jaylon Johnson And Montez Sweat

One thing about Ryan Poles that should be appreciated is his lack of fear. He doesn’t hide when things get tough. The Chicago Bears GM has incurred a lot of backlash with some of his moves over the past year. The Chase Claypool trade was a mess. His hiring of Matt Eberflus as head coach looks worse and worse. Still, he remains consistent in his vision and approach. Plenty of people slammed him for the trade to acquire defensive end Montez Sweat. Then he got heat for failing to trade cornerback Jaylon Johnson. They felt it was a deadline completely bungled by a guy out of his depth.

Poles, to his credit, stepped to the podium 24 hours later to field questions. He didn’t look like somebody overwhelmed by the moment. He was direct and honest in his answers. From his point of view, Sweat is a caliber of player the Bears don’t have on the defensive line. He can be a “multiplier” they desperately need. As to his contract situation, there is no gray area. Poles intends to get a deal done as soon as possible. As for Johnson, the trade didn’t happen because he set the price high.

The Bears reportedly asked for a late 1st or early 2nd rounder. His reasoning? If the Bears were going to lose a good player, he wanted a high percentage chance of landing another. Poles seems adamant the two sides can work out an extension before next March.

"We are currently working on getting a contract done now." — Ryan Poles on Montez Sweat

Called him a short and long-term acquisition

— Josh Schrock (@Schrock_And_Awe) November 1, 2023

Ryan Poles says he's been hearing people say that the #Bears don't want Jaylon Johnson here long term:

"That couldn't be further from the truth."

— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) November 1, 2023

Bears GM Ryan Poles: "I don't want to lose Jaylon Johnson. If I were to lose Johnson, I would like to have a high chance of hitting on another Jaylon Johnson, which to me, is a late-first, early second."

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) November 1, 2023

Ryan Poles knows what he wants to do.

That is the essential first step. If he is going to make the trade for Sweat work, he has to ensure the edge rusher is around beyond the final nine games of this season. That will require a hefty contract. Thankfully, the Bears have loads of salary cap space going into next year—more than any team by a wide margin. So unless Sweat demands to be the highest-paid edge rusher in football, a deal can and should get done. As for Johnson, he’s decided to table continued negotiations until after the season.

It is apparent the cornerback didn’t get the offers he was hoping for, both from the Bears and when he contacted other teams about a trade. He feels he’s one of the best corners in football. Maybe the only way to get compensated as such is by betting on himself for the rest of the season. If he can put together a few more games like his one against Las Vegas, his bargaining power will increase.

Ryan Poles seems willing to let it play out. He wants to get a deal done. That much is obvious. He is confident the two sides can work it out. Johnson has said his goal remains to stay in Chicago. It is nice to hear the GM state his goals clearly.