Yannick Ngakoue Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Bears fans pushed GM Ryan Poles to sign key player

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated 8/5/23

The Chicago Bears fan base might have pulled off a feat rarely seen — or at least admitted — in sports. Their attempts at playing armchair general manager may have played a hand in an actual personnel decision.

During a press conference Saturday, Bears GM Ryan Poles began by giving a shout-out to Bears fans for badgering him all offseason about one of the team’s biggest needs — defensive end.

Just days prior, Chicago reached an agreement with the top available defensive end Yannick Ngakoue on a 1-year, $10.5 million deal.

“First of all, you’ve got to love the Bears fan base and how passionate they are. At my son’s baseball game, people yelling from the field, like coaches from third base yelling to me, or literally on a beach in Maui, I was reminded that I need to sign a defensive end. I finally got that done.”

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles started his press conference today by giving a shoutout to Bears fans for reminding him all offseason that he needs to sign a defensive end.

(Video via @ChicagoBears) pic.twitter.com/PPDPz0M19L

— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) August 5, 2023

While Poles may have simply been joking around, the constant clamor from Bears fans could have potentially raised the urgency in trying to seal the Ngakoue signing. Who knows if another team could have swooped in and snagged the former Pro Bowler had Poles waited a day later? At the very least, Poles’s comments will likely endear him to the fan base a bit more.

Chicago is looking to turn into a competitive team next season. Aside from the Ngakoue move, the Bears acquired wide receiver DJ Moore and signed 2-time Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds to a 4-year, $72 million contract.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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