“Ryan Poles’ biggest free-agent mistake should be permanently benched.”
When Ryan Poles entered the 2023 offseason, he recognized the critical need to strengthen the offensive line. This was a crucial year for Justin Fields, and if Poles wanted to properly evaluate his quarterback, he needed to provide adequate protection.
He was pleased with Braxton Jones’ rookie performance, and Teven Jenkins had successfully transitioned to guard, performing well. However, the other three positions remained a significant concern. Poles aggressively pursued 49ers tackle Mike McGlinchey but ultimately lost out to the Denver Broncos. He then turned his focus to Nate Davis in free agency (securing him for 3 years, $30 million with $20 million guaranteed) and drafted tackle Darnell Wright in the first round.
I wasn’t very familiar with Davis. I knew he was a solid player, but it’s rare for solid players to hit free agency, especially since the Tennessee Titans weren’t in a severe cap situation. So, I decided to dig around the Titans organization to uncover more.
This investigation led to a tweet that continues to circulate on Twitter/X:
Talked to someone close with Titans to get an idea of Nate Davis. His first response:
"Vrabel hates him."
Also noted Titans chose Andre Dillard who is a year older with 45 less career starts to replace him and signed him to basically identical contract that #Bears gave Davis.
— Bill Zimmerman (@BillTZimmerman) March 14, 2023
As I continued to investigate, the consensus was that Mike Vrabel’s issues with Davis stemmed from his lack of availability. I heard that Davis wasn’t keen on playing through injuries, which created tension with Vrabel and his staff.
Initially, I thought Vrabel’s dissatisfaction was a result of his old-school mentality, more reflective of who Vrabel is rather than who Davis is.
I was wrong.
I tried to give Davis the benefit of the doubt regarding his missed time last season. People handle personal tragedies differently; some throw themselves back into work, while others struggle to find the energy to do anything at all.
I gave Davis a pass, but as we approached the 2024 season, there was no more leeway. He needed to step up and perform. Now, in early August, it’s time to face the truth: Nate Davis is a sunk cost.
Whether this is who Davis has always been, or he’s simply content collecting his guaranteed $20 million from the Bears before possibly walking away from football, it’s evident that Davis has no interest in playing for the Chicago Bears—or anyone else, for that matter.
The bigger question is, with all the available information, how did Ryan Poles miss so badly?
Luke Steckel, who was with the Titans as an assistant coach from 2013 to 2022, was present during Nate Davis’ entire tenure in Tennessee. Steckel joined the Bears as an assistant offensive line coach under Chris Morgan in 2023.
Steckel was hired in February, and Davis was signed in March. Was Steckel consulted about Davis before the signing? Did he endorse the decision? Could this have played a role in Steckel’s dismissal after just one season? To be fair, the Bears did overhaul most of their offensive coaching staff but retained Chris Morgan while letting his assistant go, which raises questions.
Regardless of the process in March 2023, Poles and his team had access to information they either ignored or didn’t research thoroughly before committing $20 million guaranteed to Davis.
Now, in 2024, the Bears are entering the season with a rookie quarterback who needs protection. Continuously shuffling the offensive line while Nate Davis lightly pedals on a stationary bike won’t prepare the unit for September.
It’s time for Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus to make a bold move.
Nate Davis needs to be benched—not temporarily, but permanently.
The Chicago Bears have a rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, who needs to build chemistry with his center. Rotating Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton is fine for now, but the Bears need to settle on a starting center soon and let Caleb work with him exclusively for at least three to four weeks before the season starts.
If the Bears decide on Bates at center, they should consistently use someone like Matt Pryor with the starting line when Davis misses practice. The stronger option is to commit to Shelton as the starting center now, allowing him and Williams to build the necessary chemistry.
This would push Bates to right guard, a position Poles has wanted him in since he arrived at Halas Hall.
Start Ryan Bates at right guard and let Nate Davis become the backup.
It might seem like a waste to have an above-average interior lineman on the bench, but if he’s not motivated to play, where else can he go?
A Bates-Davis combination might be the most talented, but it’s not the best option right now. A Shelton-Bates duo could stabilize the offensive line by Week 1.
There’s no financial advantage to cutting Davis now, and while it may seem pointless to bench him, an overpaid and unmotivated Davis as your backup right guard is still better than Ja’Tyre Carter.
It’s clear that the Bears are fed up with Davis. Eberflus’ comments make it obvious. There’s no point in continuing this charade. Bench Davis and cut him at the end of the season.
Chase Claypool will always be the most notable of Ryan Poles’ failed acquisitions due to the high draft pick he cost, but Davis only cost the Bears money. However, if they keep sending Davis onto the field when it matters, it could end up costing the Bears much more than just money.
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