As a former player and now GM of the Chicago Bears, Ryan Poles has had to make some very difficult decisions that can truly affect the outcome of a player’s career. One such difficult decision was moving on from quarterback Justin Fields, trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers in mid-March for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Speaking to reporters Monday from the NFL’s Owners Meetings in Orlando, Poles called the decision to trade Fields one of the hardest things he’d had to do in his life. One day later, during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, Poles reiterated that stance due to how his family — particularly his son — feels about Fields.