Bears GM Ryan Poles reveals hardships of being rejected by Panthers in 2021

If you’re a Carolina Panthers fan who has read the title of this post and still clicked into it, then perhaps you’re a glutton for punishment. But if that’s not your thing, you may want to avert your eyes and ears.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was featured on the latest episode of the Excellent Leadership Podcast, hosted by Chad Biagini. While discussing Poles’ journey in the NFL, Biagini asked the 38-year-old about facing rejection on the path to his current position.

Poles referred back to 2021, when he was actually a top candidate for Carolina’s general manager job. The Panthers, obviously, went in another direction—a decision that stung Poles quite a bit . . .

Carolina, instead, opted for Seattle Seahawks vice president of football operations Scott Fitterer. Poles, the executive director of player personnel for the Kansas City Chiefs at the time, would eventually be hired by Chicago.

And, ironically enough, Poles and Fitterer would go on to do some heavy business down the line.

In May of 2023, Poles and the Bears traded away that year’s No. 1 overall pick to Fitterer and the Panthers in exchange for a king’s ransom. The Panthers—for what became the draft rights to Alabama quarterback Bryce Young—shipped off two first-round picks, two second-round picks and star wideout DJ Moore.

The deal has proved to be a massive boon to the Bears, one of the league’s fastest-rising teams. Chicago got a career year out of Moore in 2023, a couple of keepers in offensive tackle Darnell Wright and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and the No. 1 overall pick of the very next draft—quarterback Caleb Williams.

Oh, and they still have to collect on a 2025 second-round pick, which will likely end up as a pretty high one.

Conversely, the trade has yet to work out for Carolina—who relinquished a bevy of resources into that top selection. Since then, the Panthers have gone 2-16 while Young has passed for 178.7 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.