Bears begin new phase with Poles as GM, Eberflus as coach

By The Associated Press

The Chicago Bears decided to make big changes after going 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 years. They fired general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy and replaced them with GM Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus. The new management began a massive overhaul, parting with stars such as Khalil Mack. But the Bears have a long way to go before they’re challenging for the NFC North championship. The biggest question is whether quarterback Justin Fields can show he is the long-term answer at a position that has historically haunted the team. But the biggest story during camp was the contract negotiation standoff between star linebacker Roquan Smith and management that ended without a new deal.