Ryan Poles actually cried when he had to sack a Bears player

Everyone knows that the NFL can be a cold-blooded league at times. So many young men come into the league with dreams of building long careers and achieving the same as their childhood heroes. Far too often, however, most of them are told by general managers and head coaches that they are not good enough to make it. This leads many to believe that the big decision makers at the top have no heart. They are simple robots that pull weeds out of the garden. Ryan Poles quickly proves the opposite to be true.

The Chicago Bears GM understands the perspective of these young men. After all, he went through the same thing they did in 2008 when the Bears cut him as an undrafted rookie. He never played in the NFL. Poles understands their struggles and the mental toll that comes with having another door close. The GM invests his time, energy and emotions into this roster. He wants everyone to succeed, so it doesn’t hurt if some don’t quite make it. Those emotions came to the fore when Poles had to tell safety Adrian Colbert that the team was letting him go.

Ryan Poles is a compassionate man.

While he’s not afraid to make difficult decisions, it would be wrong to think they don’t affect him. Not everything about the GM job is pleasant. Colbert is such a great story. He survived a horrific bike accident that put him in a coma at a young age. After surviving the accident, he made it his mission to live life as best he could. That meant pursuing his dream of playing football. It wasn’t an easy road. He had to overcome a frustrating run at Texas by transferring to Miami. He was drafted in the 7th round in 2017 and has since played for ten different teams, including the Bears.

His outstanding pass defense in the final preseason game against Kansas City reminded us of his talent. Unfortunately, he was stuck at a strong Bears position as safety, making it difficult for him to find a way onto the main roster. The hard truth is that others have offered the team more, especially on special teams. That’s often the critical difference between those who make the roster and those who don’t. Ryan Poles knew he was crushing Colbert’s dream again in that meeting. His emotions are a good reminder of how tough the job can be.