What the Bears Should Do About Ryan Pace and Why

The late-season run to get into playoff contention logically puts Matt Nagy in a better position for keeping his coaching job.

After last week's win the Bears can do no worse than a second straight .500 season following a division title in 2018, all of which is a ridiculous step up above what the franchise did in three years under former coach John Fox.

The problem facing the Bears then is what they'll do about GM Ryan Pace. Is his fate necessarily tied or untied to Nagy's?

The internet is loaded with people making guesses or somehow trying to interpret what so-called "insiders" say as proof of the actions the Bears will take. This is all garbage.

It's likely nothing has even been decided at this point. It's also very likely nothing should happen.

In 2014 the Bears just experienced as miserable a season as they've ever had, if not in terms of wins and losses but also control over the franchise. They'd gone from a 10-6 team and just missing the playoffs to seasons of 8-8 and 5-11 under Phil Emery. They fired both Emery and coach Marc Trestman.

Chairman of the board George McCaskey was asked then by former Tribune columnist and current WSCR-AM host David Haugh when they made this monumental decision .

"David, we finalized our decision last night," McCaskey said.

After the season ended, they finalized a decision obvious to everyone for weeks.

This is how the McCaskeys operate. They base decisions on the entire body of work and at the end of the period, for better or worse. Some might not like this, but there is plenty to be said for avoiding rash decisions, as well.

Based on this, it's entirely possible they haven't decided anything about Pace. If they came out and suffered another embarrassing blowout to miss the playoffs, maybe there is a decision made. Maybe not.

McCaskey said then the reason for firings was simply there weren't enough wins. Also, he said Virginia McCaskey wasn't happy.

When they fired John Fox in 2017, they said there weren't enough wins.

However, they gave Ryan Pace a contract extension then through 2021. The Bears had a 14-34 record before they gave him the extension.

Since the extension they are 28-19 with one division title.

If there weren't enough wins initially but there was still enough reason to give Pace a contract extension, and since then Pace hired a coach who brought them a division title and two seasons with more wins than any season under Fox, how on earth does the general manager get fired?

The quarterback decision he made to trade up for Mitchell Trubisky was part of the assessment before his contract extension but it is like the proverbial jelly of the month club—it's a gift that keeps on giving.

It is the most important position and Trubisky still makes stupid decisions leading to interceptions in the red zone. But quarterback is not the only position which counts.

Pace's 2020 draft class produced three players immediately contributing, and who are now starters. Some others have contributed.

He drafted a running back in 2019 who looks like one of the better runners in the league. They are gaining strength on the offensive line using two players who didn't even get drafted but are playing better than many who were.

Pace brought in tight end Jimmy Graham and he's been an ideal mentor for Cole Kmet, a credit to the organization and community while also making eight touchdown catches.

Pace has had failures, as well, but not to the scope of Mitchell Trubisky or the signing of slumping free-agent pass rusher Robert Quinn.

There also have been other successes in the draft since the Trubisky selection, like Roquan Smith, apparently James Daniels when healthy, and Anthony Miller.

"I need to point the finger at myself as well," Pace said at the time of his contract extension. "Our record is a reflection on me as well."

If that's the case, the 28-19 record also is a reflection.

The smart money and the only sound logic, says Pace at least gets to draft this year and then they talk about a contract extension into next season as the season progresses, possibly using their fate early next season to determine the franchise's future.

One other possibility is they make a change in the structure above Pace to have someone else besides president/CEO Ted Phillips decide his fate, someone who actually knows something about football and not about doing your taxes.

Whatever they do about this, it's not going to affect the football product in the short term.

In a year when there has been a pandemic creating uncertainty, and the 2020 season itself provided no clear-cut direction to follow, the best path going forward is letting the 2021 season play out to decide what ultimately happens.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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