LAKE FOREST, Ill. — A winning culture is one of those intangibles that every sports team in the world strives for every season. It’s hard to define and impossible to pin down. And it’s also what Bears general manager Ryan Bowles and head coach Matt Eberflus hoped to completely reshape when they took over the organization in 2022 with a sweeping personnel shakeup and the implementation of HITS principles.

The Bears specifically wanted players with high motors who would play despite the whistle blowing on every shot. They wanted players who loved football because they loved it, not just because they were good at it. And they were going to focus on energy, enthusiasm and playing smart.

As the third year of the Poles/Iberflux regime enters, the Bears believe their culture is better than ever.

“I felt from the first day we came in, from the first day, that everybody was hungry, everybody wanted to eat, somehow, whatever the way,” said nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon.

Gordon has been with the Bears since the start of the new program as part of the first class of Polish and Eberflus players. He has noticed a difference in culture from his first season so far, calling it “extraordinary.”

“The way we talk, the way we positively critique each other and communicate with each other, the accountability, the way we hold each other accountable to standards and things like that, we’re on top of everything 24/7, really.”

The team’s real talent infusion began in 2023, after the Poles stripped the roster of quality players. They added notable veterans in free agency like Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. And big-money deals brought in key players like DJ Moore and Montez Sweat.

But last year the team was still trying to get to know each other. They were still trying to figure out who they were as a team. Now they’ve spent more time together developing relationships off the field, which helps strengthen their relationships on the field.

“Now that we’re calmer, I know you better, and that confidence factor where you go out there and you know your brother is going to come out and score a goal, that’s the game we play,” Edmunds said. “Just having that experience and being able to do that, it’s going to make this team 10 times better.”

Another big key, Edmonds said, is that the Bears have created an environment where everyone feels comfortable being themselves, and people aren’t trying to put themselves out there to impress anyone else.

“For me, I trust the individual more, I respect the individual more if you show up as your true self,” Edmonds said. “I think we have a lot of guys that what you see is what you get. It’s not like I’m going to show up as this person, I’m going to try to be this person, but behind closed doors I’m that person. No. He’s an authentic person. I think when you have a group of authentic people, I think the bond and the energy that you feel, you naturally feel different.”

Edmonds cited a number of ways players have come together outside the building to create those bonds, such as going out to eat together, heading to the pool, or even shopping at the mall together.

“All of these things go to us to play fast on Sunday or whatever day we play,” Edmunds said. “I know — as funny as it sounds — things that might make (a teammate) smile or things that might get on his nerves … whatever it is, that kind of relationship and that kind of energy, man, is what drives winning football teams.”

The Bears see their culture as something they will continue to work on and develop. It is not a finished product and the hope is that it will improve with each year of continuity.

“It’s an ongoing process,” Edmunds said. “You can’t develop that in the offseason or training camp and then it’s over. No. You develop that through the adversity you face throughout the year. There will be ups and downs, but the things we build now are what will help us get through this.”

But for now, the atmosphere is high and the team is ready to show what they have prepared for the league at Halas Hall.

The starting lineup may be finalized in the preseason, and if so, that’s fine with Gordon. He’s now ready to play for the team in Week 1.

“I would say it’s a real positive energy boost.”

Click here to follow the Under Center podcast.