Ryan Poles hopes Chicago Bears make this critical change next season

The Chicago Bears barnstormed to the NFC Divisional Playoffs, coming up two victories shy of a Super Bowl appeareance, in head coach Ben Johnson’s first season, quarterback Caleb Williams’ second, and following a regular season campaign in which the Monsters of the Midway developed a whole new identity.

Williams, thanks in part to leaning into the most effective elements of Johnson’s system, and allowing his athleticism to do the rest, powered the Bears to a franchise record seven comeback victories before coming from behind in the largest postseason comeback win in franchise history over the Chicago Bears and clawing back to force overtime in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

While Williams’ and the Bears’ Cinderella slipper ultimately shattered on a Kamren Curl in overtime against the Rams, Chicago made a habit of last-second comebacks while figuring out how to win in 2025.

Ryan Poles not a fan of ‘Cardiac’ Chicago Bears

By the time Chicago’s postseason showdown against the Rams rolled around, the Williams and the Bears developed a reputation for being the “Cardiac Bears” or “Cardiac Caleb” in clutch moments.

However, general manager Ryan Poles hopes that over the course of this offseason, the Bears figure out a way to not just build out a roster but build out gameplans that don’t force Chicago to rely on late-game heroics.

“I don’t think you can be satisfied,” Poles told reporters this week. “I heard the whole Cardiac Bears thing. I’d rather not be the Cardiac Bears, but if that’s what that game needs, then that’s what you need to do. I do think you’ve got to win close games. When you get down to that two minutes, it’s important. They repped that a lot and the guys were prepared for it.

“I don’t think you want to be living on the edge all the time. I think what you can take from this season is that we were able to have poise down the stretch of games and be poised to finish and guys made plays when they needed to be made. I don’t think that’s a characteristic that you should ever shy away from.”

Including the postseason, the Bears were 8-5 in games decided by one score or less.

It’s always ideal to win in convincing fashion, but sometimes it just comes down to surviving and advancing, as the Bears made a habit of looking routine through much of last season.

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