Q&A with Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey: Ryan Poles’ free agency approach, OT changes and Virginia McCaskey’s health
At the conclusion of the annual NFL meeting Tuesday afternoon at The Breakers Palm Beach, Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey met with media members for 20 minutes.
McCaskey spoke about his early impressions of new general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus, the Arlington Heights stadium project, the league’s playoff overtime rule change and the health of Bears owner Virginia McCaskey.
Here are some of his most notable comments.
On Poles trading Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers
“Khalil is a great player. And showed on many occasions for us how he can take over a game, so when you have a player like that, you want to have a good discussion. (Poles) explained to me the reasons why he thought the Bears should do it, and it made sense to me.”
On Poles’ conservative approach in free agency during a wild NFL offseason
“Well, that’s where I’ve been impressed with his discipline, because he was very calculated in how he assessed various players that were available as unrestricted free agents and the limit financially that he was willing to go to with each player. He stuck to his plan, and I was impressed with that.
“That’s where I come back to his quality of being self-possessed. There’s something about him. It’s really difficult for me to put my finger on, but he’s very confident and exudes that and I think the other people on the staff pick up on it.”
On having patience while Poles rebuilds the roster
“If you ask a fan, ‘Should we go for it on fourth down?’ they’re going to say yes every time. And so you have to balance your reactions emotionally and as a fan with what is necessary to be done from a football perspective and as an executive of the team. So striking that balance is important, and Ryan’s been very patient with me as I’m adjusting to him and learning my new role.”
On Poles reporting directly to him rather than President and CEO Ted Phillips
“I’m learning. Ted’s been a good teacher, and Ryan’s been a patient recipient I guess is the best way to put it. So far it’s gone very well.”
“We’re working on a schedule to work regularly. In the beginning, I wanted to give Ryan time to get his feet under him, and then he was moving right into free agency. We have a regular schedule and we’ll probably be meeting more frequently as the season gets closer.”
On what he has seen that is unique from Poles and Eberflus
“I like the way they’ve gone about it, their thoroughness with the way they’ve been working together. The way that Ryan has structured his player personnel department and the way that Matt has constructed his coaching staff, we’re encouraged by it.”
On the health of owner Virginia McCaskey, who didn’t attend the meetings
“She’s doing very well. She wasn’t able to be here. She had a medical issue in January, which has been resolved. We’re all very grateful that she’s back to her regular routine, but she didn’t feel up to making the trip. She really feels bad about it, No. 1 because she really likes this place and No. 2 didn’t have the opportunity to get to know Ryan and Katie and Matt and Kelly and their families a little bit better.”
On the Bears’ exploration of a stadium in Arlington Heights
“We’re still in the process of evaluating the land, going through the due-diligence process, and that’s what we’re focused on. (We’re) hoping to close … by the end of 2022 or early in 2023.”
On quarterback Justin Fields’ development
“We’re excited about his potential. We’re excited about his growth. And we need to do everything we can to get all of that talent out of him.”
On the playoff overtime rule change, which the Bears voted in favor of
“We had a good discussion about it. There was a lot of good data presented about it. We had a good discussion internally about it, decided to hear what the conversation was in the meeting room, and I think it’s a good result. The concern they had was that too often a flip of the coin had too much impact on the outcome of the game, particularly playoff games, and so this was designed to address that.”
On if this is a step toward implementing the overtime rule in the regular season
“There was some concern expressed about adding too much to the number of plays (and the) injury risk, and the thinking was that in the regular season that could be overcome. But we didn’t want that to be a way that some team’s season ended.”
On his participation on the sports gambling committee
“We had a presentation on legalized sports betting, and every time they talk about it, they talk about wanting to protect the integrity of the game and making sure they’re promoting responsible betting. So it’s something that we need to be watchful about and make sure that we’re taking the proper steps to protect the game and protect the fans. One point that they made in our meetings this time around is that, like it or not, it is a way that a lot of people add to their enjoyment of watching games.”
On if the Bears have a desire for a sportsbook at the potential new stadium
“We haven’t gotten that far. Again, we’re still assessing the land.”
On the NFL continuing their rules on taunting
“If you react as a fan and the call goes against your team, you probably think it’s a bad call. I think the emphasis is well-placed. And there is a way to celebrate without drawing a flag.
“A better approach is the individual player needs to be poised. His teammates need to be looking out for him and not give the official cause to throw a flag. The larger picture is that good teams find a way to overcome questionable calls. That’s what we need to get to.”
On how long it might take for the Bears to be a contender again
“Well, the goal every year is to win a Super Bowl. We saw last year how the Bengals can go from last in their division to playing in the Super Bowl and coming darn close to winning the whole thing. So what we’re looking for is progress. How are they putting the team together? How are they working together? Are we moving forward? Are we doing the right things? Are we doing them in the right way? And again, looking forward to seeing the results.”
