Heartbreaking moment Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles breaks down in tears as he tells Adrian Colbert of brutal roster cut

THE latest series of HBO’s Hard Knocks has come to a tearful end.

This series saw the Chicago Bears take center stage throughout training camp, allowing fans an insight into how general manager Ryan Poles’ team is coming together.

HBO

HBO

As is usually the case, the final episode of the season featured the team’s dreaded cuts.

One such player to just miss the initial 53-man roster was veteran safety Adrian Colbert.

Emotional footage from inside Poles’ office of him letting Colbert know of their decision ultimately made the cut on Hard Knocks and has since gone viral.

In the footage, Poles welcomed Colbert into his office, admitting to the 30-year-old, “This kills me man.”

After the two took to their seats, Poles quickly jumped back up, wiping away tears as he walked over to a cabinet.

A short while later, clearly still emotional, Poles sat back down and attempted to compose himself before addressing the elephant in the room.

“I appreciate you man,” he told Colbert.

“There’s something about you man that’s different and I hate that we’re gonna do this.

“There’s some guys you’re rooting for, you know. And you’re one of them. You’re a good dude. Great teammate.

“And this is a part of this job that I hate. Thankful for our time together. And I hope opportunities pop up.”

Poles later added that he hoped Colbert would go on to “do big things” wherever his career took him next.

Colbert told Poles playing for Chicago had been “an honor” and “a blast.”

“It’s a historic organization, but it’s not even just that, just being around you guys, being around the front office, being around the coaches and the players who have embraced me for being me,” he explained.

“You don’t really find many places like that. Everybody wants you to be the same.

“Everybody wants you to be exactly like the next person and this place has allowed me to really be me and I think that alone has allowed me to thrive on the field and off the field.

“I just wanted to tell you I appreciate you for that.”

The former seventh-round draft pick out of Miami by the San Francisco 49ers hinted that this may have been his last attempt to make a roster.

Regardless, Colbert said he would take his lessons learned with Chicago forward in life.

“I know I’ll have that and it’ll just carry on to me being a parent as well, knowing I can instill great values in my son and allow him to believe in himself fully, not being contingent on what other people think or how they respond to how he chooses to be,” he told Poles.

The exchange left not only Poles emotional, but fans on X as well.

“Thats my GM. Hard Knocks makes me love Ryan Poles even more,” one commented.

“It can not be easy at all to have to cut players. Wishing the best for Colbert,” said a second.

A third added, “This hurts to watch.”

Colbert himself also reshared the clip on X , along with the caption , “Vulnerability is a superpower. So much respect for Ryan.”

Prior to Chicago, Colbert had spent time with nine other NFL teams since entering the league in 2017.

But as he revealed on Hard Knocks, making it to the NFL at all once seemed impossible.

Colbert explained how he’d been crashed into by a car driving at around 55 mph while on his bicycle, leaving him in a coma for two weeks, per Essentially Sports .

Despite doctors preparing Colbert for a future without football, he’s gone on to play for Texas , Miami, and 10 different NFL teams.

Reuters