The Chicago Bears have a playoff game to prepare for. That is where their focus needs to be. No arguments here. They’re in the tournament and have a shot to play for the Super Bowl. What happened in the regular season no longer matters. Beating the Saints in New Orleans is the only goal. Everybody is 0-0. They must bring everything they have.
That said, they won’t be able to ignore the big questions if they lose. Specifically the ones regarding the status of head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace. Their futures have been a topic of discussion for weeks. Ever since the Bears hit rock bottom during that six-game losing streak. They managed to stop the ship from sinking, but just barely. It feels like this team is going in the wrong direction.
So what will happen with the Bears’ power structure whenever the season does end?
Chicago Bears will likely take one of these roads in 2021
Possibility #1 – Everybody stays
Depend on who you ask, this is the most “likely” scenario right now. Despite the unbelievable roller coaster that was the 2020 season, the Bears accomplished a big goal. They made it back to the playoffs. Sure they needed a lot of help from the Rams, 49ers, and NFL rule changes to do it but they’re still in. That makes twice in three years. Something that hasn’t happened since 2005-2006 when they went back-to-back. That has to count for something, right?
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McCaskey said one of his biggest issues is understanding the value of patience. Sometimes it takes time for a plan to unfold properly. While it hasn’t been ideal, the bottom line is the Bears are a better team from where they were from 2014 to 2017. Maybe giving Nagy and Pace a little more time to flush out the offense and hopefully find a quarterback could bring it all together.
Pace knows how to build a defense and has shown improvement recently in his overall drafting with guys like Roquan Smith, Bilal Nichols, David Montgomery, Cole Kmet, Jaylon Johnson, and Darnell Mooney all making big contributions. Maybe he’s really starting to mature now.
Possibility #2 – Nagy stays while Pace is fired
This scenario actually has more traction than people think. Bears beat writers have hinted for weeks that if a change is made, it’s much more likely Pace is out than Nagy. This due to his high-profile blunders like Mitch Trubisky, Nick Foles, and Robert Quinn along with having just one year left on his contract. The Bears have done this sort of thing before. Bring in a new GM to evaluate the current coaching staff for a year then make a determination.
They did it with Jerry Angelo in 2001 and again with Phil Emery in 2012. So it’s not a stretch to think they’d do it here. However, it might be possible McCaskey is thinking a bit differently this time around. Rumors have surfaced for the past month that the Bears are eyeing Chiefs Director of Football Operations Mike Borgonzi as a possible Pace replacement.
What makes him so interesting is he has direct ties to Nagy. The two worked together for five seasons in Kansas City. It’s possible the Chicago Bears brass might wish to bring in somebody who knows the coach well and can build the proper roster he needs to be a success. Not a crazy idea. Buffalo did it with Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott a couple of years ago. That has certainly worked out well.
Possibility #3 – Clean house
While this option has become less likely over the past few weeks, it is definitely still on the table for the Bears. McCaskey always seemed to treat Pace and Nagy as a package deal. So it shouldn’t be a shock if he decided to just wipe the slate clean. Hire a new GM and let him pick a new coach. Why muddy the waters by forcing Nagy on another GM who may not want him?
This would enable the team to hire pretty much anybody they have their heart set on. Any GM and any head coach. There wouldn’t be any concerns about an awkward fit or trial periods. At the same time, this approach comes with its own risks. There is a strong possibility a brand new regime doesn’t like the makeup of the current roster and wishes to make changes.
That means players fans happen to like could end up being cut or traded. It would also mean a likely downswing in wins and losses for a period of time as the roster overhaul proceeds. There is also the real possibility the next regime is worse than the previous one. People didn’t know how much they appreciated Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith until Phil Emery and Marc Trestman were in charge.
This is why the Chicago Bears face a tough decision within the next couple of weeks.
