Ryan Pace is in an awkward spot. After a 5-1 start this season, it looked like the Chicago Bears GM was setting up to not only survive into 2021 but maybe even earn a contract extension. Then over the course of less than a month, the Bears dropped four in a row to reach 5-5. Now coming out of the bye week, the season could very well come down to this Sunday night game against the Green Bay Packers. If they lose, would George McCaskey begin the process of cleaning house?
Over the past couple of weeks, it’s been reported here that the Bears chairman is angry and frustrated with the state of the team. While it’s not enough to get anybody fired midseason, the belief is strong that Pace is definitely on the hot seat. After all, much of this situation was his own doing. He drafted Mitch Trubisky. He hired Matt Nagy and he signed off on the trade for Nick Foles. Oh and he also built this Swiss cheese offensive line.
The arguments for keeping him are evaporating fast.
He handed $70 million to Robert Quinn this offseason. The veteran pass rusher has one sack in nine games. Jimmy Graham has five touchdowns but hasn’t done much else to justify the $16 million he got as well. It seems like every major investment Pace has made this year have backfired on the team. Foles was a disappointment as a starter at quarterback and is now injured.
It feels like the only thing the GM can hang his hat on is the Bears defense which has remained one of the best in the NFL the past three years. Still, it can’t hide the facts. Barring a strong finish to this season, Pace will finish his sixth year in Chicago with just one playoff appearance. That, more than anything, is why many want him gone.
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George McCaskey might be reluctant though
Belief at this point is the Bears won’t move on from the GM yet. Part of the reason why is because the McCaskey family likes Pace. They feel he’s represented the franchise well and established a culture worth being proud of. They don’t want to fire him. However, there is one other factor that hasn’t been discussed in this situation.
Is it possible McCaskey is gun shy about making a change after what happened nine years ago? For those who don’t remember, January of 2012 was when the Bears fired longtime GM Jerry Angelo. In many ways, he shared a lot of similarities with Pace. He’d built an outstanding defense but struggled with his early-round draft picks and failed to settle the quarterback position.
After a 7-3 start in 2011, the team collapsed to an 8-8 finish.
McCaskey, who had just taken over as team chairman that season, decided to make his first big decision by firing the GM. This paved the way for Phil Emery to take over. Everybody remembers what followed. He fired Lovie Smith after a 10-6 season in 2012, hired Marc Trestman as head coach, forced Brian Urlacher into retirement, and completely fumbled in his attempts to save the defense from a complete implosion.
One could argue George McCaskey is still paying for that mistake even to this day. So he might have it in his head that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Firing Angelo made things worse. What if firing Pace results in the same? Sometimes it’s not just about money or loyalty, but about fear of the unknown.