George McCaskey has held the position of Chicago Bears chairman since 2011. He’s no longer a rookie at his job anymore. He’s built up enough experience to start knowing what he wants from his organization and what he expects. That is why his opinion was worth getting during the first press conference he had with the media in months.
Things got interesting almost right away. McCaskey was asked just minutes into the conference about his evaluation process regarding head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace. This due to the speculation that both could be on the hot seat. While the man didn’t offer a direct answer, he did give some interesting clues.
“Question: What are you going to be evaluating in Matt and Ryan to make sure this thing is going in the right direction and is there any leeway given when doing so by the fact the NFL went through the most bizarre offseason it’s ever had?
“McCaskey: Yeah there are challenges. We think that the team that best adapts to those challenges will have a better chance of winning. That’s the goal. To win. The goal every year is to win the Super Bowl. Two years ago, we made a great run. Fell short. Last year we regressed. So we need to find out which team it is.”
It didn’t stop there. McCaskey was pressed on the matter a couple of minutes later.
Question: I was wondering how you felt he has done from January until now in a very unorthodox offseason and what specifically you’ll be evaluating during the regular season to sort of retain your confidence in his oversight.
“McCaskey: We’re all evaluating on a regular basis. It’s true of my performance and it’s true of Ryan’s performance. He knows that. I’ve been impressed with his and Matt’s leadership during these chaotic, challenging times. They’ve come up with a good plan. They’re executing it well…
…That particular position (GM), it’s one of leadership primarily. He’s in charge of the entire football operation. So that’s a factor. Winning, of course, is part of the assessment. Then his personnel, the supervision of the personnel department, the scouting department and things of that nature.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4zhNExZWkY&ab_channel=ChicagoBears
George McCaskey sends a clear message
It’s not hard to read between the line there. While McCaskey didn’t declare anything regarding Nagy or Pace, the message is undeniable. He expects the 2020 Bears to win. He expects them to be a playoff team. Yes, the offseason has been a challenge, to say the least. The thing is every other team has had to deal with it. So the playing field remains even in that regard.
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There are no excuses. This team is at a point where it should be winning. They have enough talent. If that doesn’t happen, then the time may come to make some big decisions. Pace will have seen six seasons with only one playoff run. Nagy two down years after a strong start in 2018. Not to mention an offense that continues to underachieve.
McCaskey has stayed patient to this point, but everybody has a limit.