Bears head coach Matt Nagy did his best to quash the speculation that tomorrow’s Thanksgiving game against the Lions would be his last on the Chicago sidelines, but there seems to be at least some fire to that smoke. Bears fans are doubtlessly wondering whether GM Ryan Pace, who was on the hot seat last year, might also be in his final days as a Bears employee.
However, league sources tell Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic that Pace could be retained for the 2022 season, which would mark his eighth year on the job. After all, there are currently three clubs — the Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Chargers — who have hired three head coaches under one GM, and all three of those teams have legitimate championship aspirations. Plus, Bears ownership generally places a high value on stability and thinks rather highly of Pace, which could give the team’s top exec one more bite at the apple.
Unfortunately for him, Pace’s tenure has been largely defined by the Mitchell Trubisky trade that has helped to undermine the Bears’ fortunes in the last few seasons. Pace’s decision to trade four draft picks to move up from the No. 3 overall selection in the 2017 draft to the No. 2 overall pick to acquire Trubisky — when players like Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes were still on the board — was widely panned at the time, and it has not aged well. Though Trubisky earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2018, his subsequent regression ultimately led him out of Chicago and took him to Buffalo, where he is presently serving as Josh Allen‘s backup.
Another black mark on Pace’s resume is the fact that the Bears have yet to win a playoff game in his time at the helm (they have only qualified for the playoffs twice since Pace was hired in 2015, and at 3-7, the 2021 postseason is a pipe dream). So while the blockbuster Khalil Mack trade in 2018 brought Chicago a terrific defensive player, the draft capital Pace surrendered to acquire him did not produce any hardware and cannot be considered a success.
Pace has certainly done some good things. He has a solid track record in the middle and late rounds of his drafts, and though the Trubisky selection was a major misstep, first-round rookie Justin Fields has given the Bears some hope that he can be the long-term answer at quarterback that the team has been seeking for so long. And, as Fishbain posits, the Chicago roster features a strong, young core.
Assuming Nagy is fired either later this week or at the end of the season, the next head coaching search will be geared towards finding a candidate that can help Fields to blossom, something Nagy could not do with Trubisky. The question is whether Pace will be around for that search.
Why? Clean house . Bring the guy up the street as coach. Fritz @ NU
The Ryan Pace experience: Trade up, void year restructure, trade up, void year restructure, trade up, void restructure. Ope, we’re 8-8 again. Trade up, void year restructure, trade up, void year restructure, trade up, void restructure. Ope, we’re 8-8 again.
Before we bash the trade up for Mitch, let’s remember that the two throwaway 3R picks Pace gave up in that deal to move up one spot turned into Fred Warner and Alvin Kamara. Pace saved a lot of salary cap space by not having those two guys on the team.
They never would have identified that talent if they had the pics still anyways
Pace keeps his job every Bear fan should protest the games next year. The comment “ Pace has done some good things?” OMG a 3rd grader could of done better in 8 years.
A third grader would use better grammar as in, ‘could have done better’.
Typical Bears ownership.
Pace keeping his job is bears ownership tell bears fans they don’t care about them one bit as long as seats fill, financially boycott this team until it’s sold
Worst GM and coach in the League. Traded like 9 draft picks for Mitch, Mack and Fields. None of whom will even be on the Field tomorrow and maybe longer. Championship teams keep their picks and pick Championship caliber players. Pace is a fool who trades them all away because he’s a horrible talent evaluator. Mitch,White, Whitehair, Daniels, LLoyd can all be lumped as busts. At least for the Bears. All 2nd round or higher. Daniels and Whitehair might be the worst Guards in the League.
Your statement and logic fall apart if you look at the Chiefs, Patriots, Rams, etc.
I would say Pace is about league average in talent evaluation of players, probably lower on coaches. Look at the record over the last three years. Pretty average.
Whitehair is far from a bust. He has graded out as a top 25 interior lineman every year, plus once moved to guard has graded out in top ten.
I understand the need for you to hear yourself talk but if you don’t know the facts of what you are talking about it is just plain hot air.
That said, I think Pace’s time has probably run its course, though if Fields turns into a franchise QB we will probably all be bitching about the next guy and we should have kept him.
Anyone who thinks Whitehair or Daniels is top 25 in anything obviously doesn’t watch the games. I’m sure the QB’s and RB’s that have been on IR would laugh also. They are both 2nd Rd. busts. All i kept hearing was how Whitehair could play T but I haven’t even seen him be able to play G or C yet. DT’s salivate when they play the Bears.
Pace put this together. Fire him too he’s not going to get Smarter
Pace is terrible wasted or traded so many draft picks needlessly. Clean house or continue to lose.
I feel bad for Fields sake. This dude is an up and comer with so much potential, he can be really good and this is coming from a packers fan. Now the bears are gonna fire their head coach where the QB has to learn a new offensive system. No wonder the bears can’t find a franchise QB
The Bears should be kicking themselves for letting Chris Ballard get away. I’m just hoping they don’t replace Pace with Gettleman who will also be unemployed when the season concludes.