Tag: Poles

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus on the sidelines during the second half against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images

Back to work, Bears coach Matt Eberflus ‘getting ready’ for 49ers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Matt Eberflus survived Black Monday and appears to be safe as the Chicago Bears head coach on Black Friday, too.

Less than 24 hours after Eberflus experienced a six straight defeat and third consecutive loss decided on the final play, the third-year coach conveyed plans to conduct business as usual before a Friday afternoon meeting with team president Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles.

“The operation has been normal,” Eberflus said of his plans for Friday in the office with players home for the long weekend before returning to practice Monday.

The Bears have never fired a coach in-season and Eberflus indicated he doesn’t expect to be the first.

“I’m confident that I’ll be working on to San Francisco and getting ready for that game,” Eberflus said, pointing to the Week 14 matchup with the 49ers. He won his coaching debut with the Bears, 19-10, in 2022 but is 13-32 since.

On Thursday, Chicago lost 23-20 at Detroit, rallying from a dormant first half and had the ball in field-goal range when quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked. In a sequence that began with 32 seconds on the game clock, the Bears had options. They could have spiked the ball to stop the clock, attempting what would have been around a 60-yard field goal or going for a first down with plenty of time to “clock” the ball.

Another option Eberflus chose not to use was calling a timeout.

Instead, the ball was snapped 28 seconds later and Williams heaved an incompletion down the right sideline as time expired.

Media members repeatedly have questioned Eberflus in press conference settings about taking personal accountability. But on Friday he said the Bears handled the final sequence appropriately and “the operation wasn’t fast enough.”

Wide receiver Keenan Allen said Thursday afternoon that “we did enough as players to win the game.”

Williams said the timeout call wasn’t his to make.

“We can call a timeout there or we cannot,” he said. “I’m not going to say I was surprised. My job is just to go out there and make plays. I let the coaches and everybody make that decision – it is their call. Maybe in the later years of my career, it will be my call.”

Poles paid a personal visit to Williams in the locker room for a discussion, and Warren stood watch to take in the wide-lens scene of the locker room packing to return to Chicago with an 0-3 record in the NFC North. The Bears had chances to beat all three division opponents but the Packers blocked a game-winning FG attempt by Cairo Santos, the Vikings escaped Chicago with a 30-27 overtime win and the Lions wriggled away Thanksgiving Day with Chicago more than threatening in the final minute.

When Poles and Warren meet with Eberflus, and Bears chairman George McCaskey joins the discussion as he did in January with support for Eberflus to return, they will likely incorporate what they’ve heard from players in the locker room. It’s also fair to presume they’re listening to open discussion from Eberflus’ peers on the late-game braincramp.

New England Patriots first-year coach Jerod Mayo stepped away from the final minute of the Bears’ loss on CBS Thursday to talk to his coaches and support staff about the time management elements in play and how they would navigate the situation.

“I probably would’ve handled it a little bit differently,” Mayo said.

–Field Level Media

Oct 6, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks on against the Carolina Panthers during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

Bears GM: Rookie QB Caleb Williams ‘right where he should be’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

By Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles’ measurement, No. 1 pick Caleb Williams is precisely where he should be five games into his NFL career.

Williams has five touchdowns, four interceptions and three wins as the Bears land in London to square off with the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) on Sunday.

Poles said Wednesday that Williams is “right where he should be and continuing to get better” with the Bears gunning for three consecutive wins for the first time since December 2020, which included a victory over the Jaguars.

“You’ve seen that in terms of the efficiency, protecting the football, taking what (defenses have) given to him,” Poles said. “And then going into this last game, now explosives are starting to show up. So I really like his progress. I love the work ethic and the time that he’s put into it … the grit and toughness, the ability to bounce back from tough games.”

Williams is 24th in the NFL in completion percentage and has been sacked 17 times. However, Jacksonville’s pass defense is being torched consistently, allowing 956 passing yards, nine touchdowns and a completion percentage over 73 percent the past three weeks.

The Bears decided to depart for their international game on Monday night after head coach Matt Eberflus personally experienced the jet lag common from flying to Europe last summer on a trip to Italy. He said the Bears conducted two walkthrough workouts on Wednesday while they adjust to the time change in London. They plan to resume a normal work week on Thursday.

Wide receiver DJ Moore stressed the up-tempo pace the Bears are utilizing to make defenses uncomfortable has helped simplify some elements of the offense for Williams and the receivers.

He said the early arrival helped free him for a food tour and will benefit the Bears feeling ready to go on Sunday.

“Getting a win out here and going on a bye week happy is a must,” Moore said. “Back-to-back wins, just to stack those wins, keep that going for the rest of the year.”

–Field Level Media

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) warms up prior to a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Hope: GM Ryan Poles, QB Caleb Williams determined to make Bears winners

Posted on | by Field Level Media

CHICAGO — In the NFL, nobody wins without a game-changing quarterback. The Chicago Bears understand the nuance of that statement impossibly well.

Credit general manager Ryan Poles for knowing when to fold ‘em, setting the Bears up for the league’s equivalent of winning the jackpot.

Poles positioned the Bears to contend with a three-year plan focused on finding the right quarterback and surrounding him with a supporting cast that could carry its own weight.

Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, is the grand prize ready for his grand unveiling at Soldier Field on Sunday.

Expectations in Chicago and beyond are through the roof for Williams, who revealed snippets of the elite talent that drew Poles and the Bears to him during an abbreviated run in the preseason that included a 44-yard touchdown run and a rapid connection with draft classmate Rome Odunze.

Poles, an undrafted offensive lineman with the Bears who became a scout for the Chiefs under Scott Pioli in 2009, was in Kansas City when Patrick Mahomes was drafted in 2017. Chicago infamously drafted North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 2 pick, eight spots ahead of Mahomes.

A number of skills and traits Williams possesses pushed the former Oklahoma and USC quarterback to the spotlight peak of the draft. He’s regularly compared to current starters — Mahomes and Justin Herbert of the Chargers to name a few — which is one indication of why the Bears believe they could be headed to unchartered territory. No Bears quarterback has delivered a 4,000-yard season or had more than 30 touchdown passes.

To land Williams, Poles benefited from a shrewd plan requiring the willingness to hit reset if Justin Fields failed to win the team over and progress in 2023. To prepare the launchpad for the franchise, Poles traded the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, passing on the chance to select Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson and C.J. Stroud, and started building a foundation for the potential shot at scoring a franchise quarterback in April.

First, he scouted Williams and USC up close and personal. He was there when Williams paused his pregame warmup, sprinted to the sideline and shook hands with Joe Montana. That was in October, and signs were starting to add up that the Carolina Panthers might oblige — sinking to the bottom of the NFL standings to maximize the value of the 2024 first-round pick they gave the Bears the year prior. Carolina limped to a 2-15 final record, the league’s worst, and the Bears were exactly where Poles wanted to be.

In meetings with Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus, the part of the evaluation that rang in echoes was Williams’ view of being a potential savior in Chicago. He didn’t shy away. In the same way the 49ers found cool in Montana and the Bengals returned to the Super Bowl with their own one-of-a-kind Joe, Williams reminded the Bears he was built for the moment.

The lights come up Sunday in Williams’ much-anticipated debut against the Tennessee Titans, when Poles won’t be the only one with his finger on the pulse of the QB.

“I kind of say it’s their heartbeat,” Poles said. “Does their heartbeat skyrocket in those pressure situations? Or do you see this calm? We’re not going to know until we’re in it, in terms of the pro side of it. But that’s what I look for. I want the game to slow down, for there to be a level of poise, and again, I’ll go back to is there that same combination of taking what a defense gives you, leaning on your talent and then when you’re forced to be special, be special.”

Eberflus found Williams to be the antithesis of public perception labels of him in their first meetings before the draft. Called a prima donna, pariah and diva, all Williams pointed to was “getting to work” and “proving himself.”

“We’ve all been (on) teams before, but there’s people that come into those situations and they try too hard. It’s like, man, it’s awkward. It’s hard to buy into that. Then there’s guys that they can navigate that so naturally because they’re authentic, and it’s real. And that’s what he’s done,” Poles said.

Poles said it’s hard to predict what Mahomes might have done as a rookie. He sat most of the season behind Alex Smith. A big part of the reason Williams is jumping directly into the fire is the assembled cast around him with All-Pro Keenan Allen, No. 1 WR DJ Moore and Odunze sure to bring security when plans must move off-script.

Moore said Williams is “easy to follow” after watching him work. He was voted one of eight team captains for 2024, and teammates pointed back to what the former Heisman Trophy winner said at his first minicamp.

“To be a great leader, you’ve got to learn how to follow first,” he said. “Right now, I’m following all the vets, following all the coaches. I’m listening. Having both ears open, and my mouth shut. Just kind of sitting back and listening. And then when I get to the point of when I learn everything, when I learn the ways of how we do the culture, the playbook, and what the offensive line, receivers, running backs, and tight ends are all doing then you can start taking the lead.”

Front-office executives polled by ESPN picked Williams as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and odds are in line with that thinking with Williams ahead of No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels of the Commanders by a wide margin.

Daniels and Bo Nix, selected 12th overall by the Broncos, are also ticketed to start and fix long-standing leaks at the position for their teams.

Drake Maye (third, Patriots), Michael Penix Jr. (eighth, Falcons) and J.J. McCarthy (10th, Vikings) are viewed as franchise quarterbacks down the line.

Not every franchise has the fortune of drafting first in a year with a talent of Williams’ kind.

And not every franchise agrees with the premise of playing the “best” player regardless of experience level. The Patriots said Maye “outplayed” journeyman Jacoby Brissett in the preseason, but there’s another side of the long view with QB development. Not every quarterback is blessed with the supporting cast Poles collected before clearing Williams for launch.

For now, Maye is heading up the “show team,” coach Jerod Mayo said, and will be asked to learn by teaching certain elements of the game plan. Mayo said he’s confident that is an effective introductory method because he used it himself as a top-10 draft pick of the Patriots.

“He’ll have certain projects and things like that that he’ll be responsible for. In saying that, he’ll still go through just a normal game week each and every week, and that’s how it’s going to be as of today,” Mayo said.

–Field Level Media

Nov 8, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) throws a fourth quarter pass under pressure from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 29-27. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers’ Justin Fields ‘definitely competing’ to be QB1

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields credits Bears general manager Ryan Poles for staying true to a promise by trading the former first-round pick to his preferred destination.

Fields landed in Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick as potential competition for Russell Wilson after the Bears decided to use the No. 1 overall pick to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Once that decision crystallized for Chicago, Poles personally committed to “doing right by Justin Fields.”

“Shoutout to Poles,” Fields said Tuesday after organized team activities with the Steelers. “We communicated to him through my agent, and I told him where I wanted to be and this was a place I wanted to be, so he honored that and I appreciate him for that. Nothing but love for the city, the fans, my teammates and coaches.”

If Fields plays more than 51 percent of the total snaps for the Steelers in 2024, Chicago’s draft compensation in return is upgraded to a fourth-round pick.

They cleared the depth chart in a matter of weeks, dealing former starter Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles and allowing Mason Rudolph to join the Tennessee Titans in free agency.

Fields, the No. 11 pick in the 2021 draft, had 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in three seasons with the Bears.

It’s also a fresh start for Wilson, who enters Year 13 with something to prove. He signed with the Steelers after being released by the Broncos despite a total cap hit of more than $80 million.

Fields said he’s grateful to be in Pittsburgh and declined to answer whether the Bears did everything they could to facilitate his growth on the field.

“It is what it is. That’s in the past,” Fields said.

As for his next chapter with the Steelers, Fields said his intentions are clear inside the building.

“I’m definitely competing. Russ knows that,” Fields said. “We’re competing against each other every day. I definitely don’t have the mindset of me just sitting every day. I’m pushing him to be his best and he’s pushing me to be my best each and every day.”

Fields said he’s not the same quarterback he was last year.

“I have a lot more room to grow,” Fields said. “I’m going to continue to get better each and every day. I’m nowhere near my ceiling.”

–Field Level Media

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) runs for a first down during the first quarter of their game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, January 7, 2024 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Report: No trade market has emerged for Bears QB Justin Fields

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A trade market for Bears quarterback Justin Fields has yet to develop, ESPN reported on Tuesday, citing sources that most teams view the 2021 first-round pick as a backup.

Fields was widely expected to be in play for the Atlanta Falcons or Pittsburgh Steelers. Atlanta agreed to a reported $180 million contract with 35-year-old Kirk Cousins and the Steelers signed Russell Wilson at a discount rate with Denver paying most of the $39 million salary he’s guaranteed for 2024.

The modest market creates a conundrum in Chicago, where general manager Ryan Poles holds a pair of top-10 draft picks and the Bears are thought to be planning on using one of those selections on Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams.

The Bears hold the No. 1 pick in the draft because they opted to pass on Bryce Young of Alabama and No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud of Ohio State in 2023, instead dealing the rights to the top spot to the Panthers. Carolina traded wide receiver DJ Moore and their first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 to the Bears and selected Young.

Many of the teams still in the market for a quarterback are focused on a popular set of prospects in the 2024 draft with Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye of North Carolina and J.J. McCarthy of Michigan being discussed as probable top-15 picks. Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. are also on the radar as potential first- or second-round picks.

Fields, 25, still could find a new home this offseason. The Las Vegas Raiders agreed to a two-year deal with Gardner Minshew but are paying a backup rate to a potential placeholder starter and the New England Patriots, currently holding the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, might give Fields a shot if it becomes evident their preferred quarterback won’t be available at the top of the draft.

Value for first-round draft picks at quarterback nosediving is a familiar backdrop for general managers attempting to offload those players. The Patriots agreed to accept a sixth-round pick in exchange for Mac Jones, who was selected 15th in 2021, four spots after Fields went to the Bears.

The No. 3 pick in that draft, Trey Lance, was traded to the Dallas Cowboys from the San Francisco 49ers for a fourth-round pick.

The 2021 No. 2 pick, Zach Wilson, has drawn no interest after being given permission to seek a trade by the Jets last month.

–Field Level Media

Aug 26, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles looks on before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

Bears narrowing options, plan to ‘do right by’ QB Justin Fields

Posted on | by Field Level Media

INDIANAPOLIS — Bears general manager Ryan Poles holds the keys to the NFL draft for the second consecutive year, and he’s all gas, no brakes as the Scouting Combine kicks off Tuesday.

Asked for his timeframe determining his plan at quarterback and how the team will use the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Poles deadpanned, “Tomorrow.”

Part of the reason Poles is feeling some urgency is the amount of outreach he’s receiving on an hourly basis. He flipped his phone to “do not disturb” weeks ago and described the options on the table for the Bears as nearing triple digits.

Before moving on to the more pressing decision, the Bears are ramping up efforts to re-sign cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a long-term deal before free agency begins. Poles expects a deal to be done in the next two weeks.

That will clear the decks for him to focus on what the franchise perceives as the best option at quarterback.

Not long after the end of the combine in 2023, Poles and the Bears pulled the trigger on a deal to send the Carolina Panthers the top pick on March 10. He said the Bears are in contact with current quarterback Justin Fields, the No. 11 pick in the 2021 draft, while narrowing the options for maximizing the top pick in April — or sooner.

Poles said the Bears would “do right by Justin” and trade him before the start of free agency, which begins March 13, if they’ve determined drafting a quarterback is the “best decision for the franchise.”

“I know him well enough now. No one wants to live in the gray,” he said.

Asked if he’s aware the locker room is supportive of Fields, Poles said, “I feel the same way.”

Fields is entering the final year of his contract with a salary of $1.6 million for 2024 and a team option for 2025 available. The financial piece of the call can’t be ignored by the Bears, or potential suitors. For reference, the current franchise tag for quarterbacks is $38 million and could skyrocket next March.

Poles noted the talent at quarterback in the 2024 draft puts the Bears in a unique position he won’t take lightly.

“I would say our approach is exactly the same (as 2023) with the No. 1 pick. Obviously we chose to trade back last year and I think that helped our team out a lot,” Poles said.

Poles said the Bears are meeting with a number of quarterbacks this week, including Southern California’s Caleb Williams, while dismissing rumors the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner didn’t want to come to Chicago.

“No concerns about that at all,” he said.

–Field Level Media

Nov 20, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool (10) prepares for a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

GM hints Bears will move on from WR Chase Claypool

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Wide receiver Chase Claypool might have played his last game for the Bears, Chicago general manager Ryan Poles implied in an interview on Thursday.

Claypool was scratched from the game-day squad for the second contest in a row on Thursday as the Bears visited the Washington Commanders. He was inactive for the game on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, days after he criticized the team regarding his lack of involvement in the game plan.

On Monday, the Bears told Claypool to stay home while the squad practiced ahead of the Washington game. Then on Thursday, Poles weighed in on where Claypool stands with the club, less than a year after the receiver arrived in a midseason trade.

“I think Chase is going to learn from this situation, we all will, and I wish him luck moving forward throughout his career,” the general manager said while speaking before the game on ESPN 1000 radio.

“You’re always disappointed in the situation and it’s definitely something I take ownership of. Last year, in the situation we were in, we wanted to add another receiver to the offense, not only to help us be more productive but also to help Justin (Fields, the quarterback,) take the next step.

“The right thought process was there and I feel comfortable with that. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out and we were hoping for (Claypool) to be a little bit more productive and be someone that could help us take it to the next level.

“I wish him luck.”

Claypool, 25, was acquired last November in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has just four catches (on 14 targets) for 51 yards and a touchdown in three games this season. He is playing in the final season of his rookie contract.

The 2020 second-round draft pick has 171 catches for 2,235 yards and 13 touchdowns in 49 games (32 starts) with the Steelers and the Bears.

Chicago coach Matt Eberflus said recently that the team was exploring “all possibilities” regarding Claypool’s future.

–Field Level Media

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles looks on before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

Bears GM Ryan Poles: ‘No one is panicking’

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Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles presented a poised and unified picture of the franchise on Thursday less than 24 hours after a bizarre news cycle blended with rumors hinted at a complete unraveling of the 0-2 team.

“To hit it straight on, we have adversity right now,” Poles said of the state of the Bears, who visit the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

“To make it really, really clear, I know the outside noise — but no one in our building is panicking, no one is flinching at any situations. Not our owner, not our president, not our head coach, not myself. None of our players. Everyone’s focused on solving the issues that we have so that we can be a be a better team.”

Poles clarified those issues don’t involve any FBI search or operative stings, as was reported Wednesday before defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned citing “health and family” concerns.

“I don’t have many details to add there. Halas Hall being raided is completely false. Don’t know where that came from. We’ve worked with Kevin (Warren, team president) and George (McCaskey) and all our leadership to make sure we were handling it the right way, and everything concluded yesterday.”

Head coach Matt Eberflus, formerly defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, will call defensive plays.

“Got a ton of faith in Flus. He’s a leader. He’s done a great job. And then as a defensive play-caller as well, got a ton of faith there,” Poles said.

There are obvious and undeniable concerns from Warren, Poles and Eberflus around the staggered start from quarterback Justin Fields and Chicago’s offense. The Bears have four turnovers and four touchdowns in two games, losses to the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which they were outscored 65-37.

Fields, asked Wednesday to explain his statement that he was thinking too much and needed to play free, said “it could be coaching.” He apologized to coaches when some media reports claimed he said only “coaching,” without what Fields felt was proper context. Fields then held a brief post-practice session with media at Halas Hall to further explain he wants the blame for “everything.”

Poles said at present, Fields is learning how to rely on the new level of talent around him — No. 1 wide receiver DJ Moore, for example — and letting go of his habit of making every play himself.

“Now he gets talent around him and has to figure and balance when to do those cool things athletically, when to lean on others,” Poles said. “And that is sometimes a gray place to live in, and that takes time.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 16, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles fan celebrates during win against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Philly mayor ‘ambivalent’ about greasing poles before Super Bowl

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When the Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl five years ago, the country was introduced to a local tradition: ecstatic fans climbing light poles.

The Eagles are back in the big game, ready to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in Super Bowl LVII, and the city is starting to prepare for a similar ruckus should the Eagles prevail again.

Greasing the city’s light poles in February 2018 only made the challenge more endearing for some Philly fans, and Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney said Tuesday that he doesn’t feel strongly about whether to get the poles slick this time around.

“Greasing the poles keeps more people from climbing up them, but it doesn’t stop everybody,” Kenney told reporters. “So whatever the police thinks we should do, we do. But I’m ambivalent about the poles.”

The tradition has its roots in the city’s Italian Market Festival in the 1960s. It was a friendly competition for some festival-goers to climb a 30-foot pole greased with lard.

City officials greased the light poles last fall ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies clinching the National League pennant and booking their trip to the World Series. Pole-scaling was also on display two weeks ago when the Eagles beat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

“NFC Championship, what I saw from the coverage, it was diverse,” Kenney said. “People of all colors, ethnicities were out dancing with each other. Philadelphia Police were dancing with young kids. There’s a general spirit of good will when you’re successful, and hopefully we can keep that going all year.

“I think we had like eight people arrested out of 20-some thousand, so it’s not that bad. No sense in overreacting.”

–If there’s one position on the roster the Eagles are uncertain about entering the Super Bowl, it’s a surprising one: punter.

Arryn Siposs suffered an ankle injury on his plant leg in mid-December when attempting to advance a blocked punt against the New York Giants. He had to be carted off and was assumed to be done for the season, but his recovery has progressed and last week the Eagles opened the 21-day practice window for Siposs to be activated off injured reserve.

But Siposs has yet to be activated as of Tuesday. Brett Kern is the Eagles’ other option at punter.

“We’re still working through that,” coach Nick Sirianni said in a news conference Tuesday, declining to offer any more details other than saying Siposs looked good in practice last week.

Siposs pinned 16 punts inside the 20-yard line and yielded just three touchbacks in 13 regular-season games.

–DeVonta Smith won two national championships at Alabama before the Eagles picked him 10th overall in the 2021 draft. Making it to his first Super Bowl, therefore, has not appeared to faze him in the slightest.

“I’ve been playing in games like this from little league, middle school, high school, college,” the former Heisman Trophy winner said. “So yeah, I feel like I’m built for games like this. I’ve been playing in games like this all my life, so to me it’s really just another game.”

Smith caught 95 passes for 1,196 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022, his second NFL season. Being paired with A.J. Brown (88 catches, 1,496 yards, 11 TDs) made for a dynamic receiving game to complement the Eagles’ run-heavy attack.

Smith was asked why the Eagles have faced more man coverage than any NFL team this year.

“I look at it like you have to pick your poison,” he said. “I think some teams would rather just man up than let us just run the ball all day.”

–The Eagles’ defense may have led the NFL with 70 sacks in 2022 — the third-highest single-season mark of all time — but Brandon Graham knows the toughest challenge awaits when up against the slippery, endlessly creative Patrick Mahomes.

“Mahomes is the guy that extends the plays and drops the dimes,” Graham, who had 11 regular-season sacks, told reporters. “You’ve got to make sure you can hit him, get him on the ground, create turnovers, make him make bad throws.”

Haason Reddick, who led the Eagles in the regular season with 16 sacks and had 3.5 more in their two playoff games, called Mahomes “a tremendous talent.”

“I don’t know if you can contain him,” Reddick said. “I just don’t know, he’s that good. I won’t lie, he is.”

Graham, 34, has spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the Eagles and was part of the team that won Super Bowl LII under coach Doug Pederson. He said he was grateful that Sirianni kept him and other veterans on the team when he was hired in 2021.

“He kept a lot of us because we give (younger players) something to look up to and I don’t take that for granted,” Graham said. “When I’ve got that C on my chest, I know a lot of guys look up to me so I try to give them something to look up to.”

Counting the postseason, the Eagles have a whopping 78 sacks. That is third most all-time behind the mid-1980s Chicago Bears, who had a record 82 in 1984 and 80 in 1985.

–Field Level Media

Dec 24, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) runs with the ball against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Rebuild-a-Bears: GM eyes ‘playmakers’ with $100M cap surplus, No. 1 pick

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General manager Ryan Poles can transition to rebuild-a-Bears mode, and his riches are boundless after Chicago claimed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft.

“Everyone should be excited about the direction we’re about to go,” Poles said Tuesday.

The Bears lost to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday to finish the 2022 season with a 3-14 record, leapfrogging the Texans in the draft order because of Houston’s last-second win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The finale put a promising bow on the 2022 season, a year in which the franchise parted with defensive end Robert Quinn and linebacker Roquan Smith to shed salary cap space and increase draft capital. Poles and the Bears are projected to hit free agency in March with an NFL-best $102 million under the salary cap, pending final NFL-tabulated cap figures used to set franchise tag values in February.

Poles said the Bears will make measured decisions on spending and “be sound in free agency,” using an approach of adding players they evaluate as difference-makers as opposed to tracking down available players who fit roster needs. Running back David Montgomery, scheduled to be a free agent, is one player the Bears stated Tuesday they’d like to have back.

But Poles said that would be the case only if “common ground on the contract” is found.

Worth noting, the Bears were never close to finding a shared view of market value with Smith as the trade deadline approached in October. He’ll start at inside linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday’s playoffs.

Field Level Media rates Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson as the top prospect in the draft, but a trio of quarterbacks — Bryce Young (Alabama), CJ Stroud (Ohio State) and Will Levis (Kentucky) — could bring multiple trade suitors to Poles’ doorstep. Poles and Colts general manager Chris Ballard are friends and former associates from their time sharing office space in the Kansas City Chiefs’ scouting department.

Quarterback isn’t considered a need for the Bears with 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields at the controls. Poles would not entirely rule out drafting a quarterback at No. 1, but his visible reaction indicates Poles might need some work on his demeanor during smokescreen season.

“I’d have to be absolutely blown away to make that type of decision,” Poles said.

Fields and Poles are in regular contact and the quarterback said as part of a season-ending exit interview that he has confidence the Bears are ready to ramp into contention.

“I know Ryan has a great understanding of what needs to be done around here, what holes we might need to fill and stuff like that,” Fields said. “That’s not my job to control any of that.”

Apropos of the planning discussion with Fields, Poles said winning more games in 2023 requires more playmakers.

“To get better. We need to win more games. Some of those tight games, I want to finish. Bringing in more playmakers is going to allow us to do that. The expectation is to take that next step,” Poles said. “We want to make decisions that can last a long time.”

–Field Level Media