The NFL Scouting Combine kicks off this week as some of the nation’s top prospects descend upon Indianapolis with the chance to impress some prospective teams ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
They’ll be under the watchful eyes of general managers, head coaches and scouts alike, including Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles and HC Ben Johnson, who both met with the media on Tuesday morning.
But with the offseason in full swing, Poles was the star of the show as he fielded a number of questions about the state and future of the team. Poles was actually quite open when it came to addressing different topics, including the future of some key veterans currently under contract and what they’re looking for in the NFL draft.
From conversations with the NFL about compensatory picks to trade talks, here’s what we learned from Poles’ press conference at the combine:
Bears believe they deserve compensatory picks for Ian Cunningham
While the NFL hasn’t officially dealt out compensatory picks — that will come in the next few weeks — several insiders have indicated that the Bears aren’t slated to receive two third-round compensatory picks (2026, 2027) after Ian Cunningham was hired as Falcons general manager, given Matt Ryan is the primary football executive. But considering Cunningham will make all of those football decisions on the roster, it certainly feels like Chicago is owed those picks.
Poles said that he’s had conversations with the NFL about the comp pick situation, noting “If that’s the rule they have in place, it’s very clear what should happen.” Even Cunningham agreed that the Bears deserve those two draft picks. But the decision ultimately comes down to the NFL. Although, you have to wonder if this onslaught will be enough to change their minds and award Chicago the picks.
Bears have gotten calls about backup QB Tyson Bagent
The Bears finally appear to have found their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams, but there’s still an important decision to make regarding backup Tyson Bagent. According to Poles, Chicago has received several calls from teams about Bagent’s potential availability. Bagent, who signed a two-year contract extension last summer, has been a solid backup for the last three seasons and has earned the favor of head coach Ben Johnson. But listening to Poles and Johnson both speak on Tuesday, it certainly sounds like they’re entertaining the idea of trading Bagent this offseason, even though it’s a tough decision.
“Obviously the tough thing is with what Ben thinks about Tyson, what I think about Tyson, what our locker room thinks about Tyson, it’s a really tough decision for us,” Poles said. “… But for Tyson as well, he would have an opportunity to go and perform for a team and do some really good things.”
It sounds like Bears are willing to trade DJ Moore
Wide receiver DJ Moore has been the subject of trade speculation this offseason given his $28.5 million cap hit in 2026, and the influx of talent on offense. Poles said that the team wants Moore to return in 2026, but they’re exploring all avenues. Poles certainly sounded like he was making a sales pitch to other teams across the league. A trade would free up $20.5 million in cap space with $8 million in dead money. But the issue with a potential Moore trade is that massive cap hit that most teams probably wouldn’t be willing to take on. It would likely require some maneuvering on Chicago’s part to make it a more enticing option. At this point, it feels like Moore will be back with the Bears. But Poles hasn’t ruled out a potential trade.
“I got to have conversations and kind of see what the best combination of players we can bring in,” Poles said, via Chris Emma. “(But) we want him here. We think highly of him. He’s a great teammate. He has been productive pretty consistently over the last couple years that he has been here. So, I have nothing but great things to say about him. But this is the time where we have to look at all the different scenarios and see what can allow us to put the best team we can put out there. There’s relationships there, there’s a lot there that makes it really, really difficult. He’s a guy we want here, but we have to look at all the different scenarios.”
Bears preparing to play without Ozzy Trapilo
The Bears are preparing to play most of the 2026 season without standout left tackle Ozzy Trapilo, who suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in their wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers in January. The expectation was that Trapilo was going to miss extended time as he recovers from what can be a career-altering injury. But the good news is Poles doesn’t believe it’s a career-threatening injury.
“He’ll miss most of the year,” he said, via CHGO. “…But we expect him to be back and be himself.”
With Trapilo sidelined, the Bears need to find an answer at left tackle, be it short-term or long-term. Poles said that Braxton Jones (free agent), Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadjie are all in-house options for a short-term solution. But don’t expect All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney to be part of that mix, as he’s only an emergency answer at left tackle.
D’Andre Swift and Cole Kmet should be back in 2026
Poles has plenty of work to do with the roster this season, which could result in some surprising salary cap casualties. Two candidates include running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Cole Kmet, who have affordable outs as far as cap savings and dead money. While nothing is ever guaranteed in the NFL, Poles indicated that both Swift and Kmet will be on the Bears’ roster in 2026.
“I feel pretty good about [them] being here, but again, there’s a lot more calls coming in on interest in some of these guys, so we have to sequence that out to see how it impacts our team,” Poles said, via the Sun-Times. “I’ve talked about cost of replacement, so what does that look like?
“We know what we need to do, but any new, unique opportunities that might pop up are usually going to pop up here, and then we’ll get back and sort it all out and make decisions, but I feel pretty good about those guys.”
What Bears are looking for in defensive lineman prospects
The Bears have some big position needs to address on the roster but none bigger than the defensive line as a whole. Poles said he believes that edge rusher is deeper than the defensive tackle group, an indication we could see them draft an interior lineman with their first-round pick. But it certainly feels like the defensive line as a whole will be a focal point in this draft as Poles looks to shore up the defensive interior like he did with the offensive line last offseason.
As for what Poles and the Bears are looking for in a defensive lineman on Dennis Allen’s defense: “Motor, relentlessness, violence, explosiveness.” Poles added that he wants “to improve our defensive speed overall.”
How Bears will approach 25th overall pick
For the last three years, the Bears have picked in the top 10 of the NFL draft. This year, after an impressive 11-6 record that included an NFC North title and a wild-card playoff win, Chicago will have to wait until the late 20s before their number is called. Regardless, Poles said the approach remains the same. “You’ve got to stick to best player available…we’ll continue to lean on that.”
The Bears, sitting with the 25th overall pick, will have some great prospects available to them, be it at defensive tackle, edge rusher or safety, which are their three biggest needs this offseason. Sitting in unfamiliar territory selecting in the 20’s, Poles said: “You want to take a good football player. Someone that meets the criteria for the franchise.”
Bears planning for future with Caleb Williams
Something the Bears haven’t had to do this decade is have to pay a young quarterback after a successful first contract. But that certainly looks like it’s going to be the case with Caleb Williams, who looks the part of a franchise quarterback after just one season with Ben Johnson. When Poles was asked about salary cap management, he brought up the potential of paying Williams and how they’re planning for the future with that in mind.
“(Caleb Williams) knows he’s got work to do, Ben (Johnson) has been very clear with a vision and I know he’s going to put in the time to get to that,” Poles said. “But that needs to get to that point. But if all of that falls into place, I think we strategically have to understand how does that change our formula as we move forward and make decisions for the future. For the organization, that’s a great thing to be on that path and feel like you have a long-term quarterback solution.”
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 8 takeaways from Bears GM Ryan Poles at NFL combine
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
