As I have reported for the past 48 hours now, the Chicago Bears brass led by team chairman George McCaskey has not made any decisions yet regarding the fates of GM Ryan Pace or head coach Matt Nagy. Nobody knows for sure what the plans are at this point. All that is known is neither man is safe. The lack of any announcement shortly after the season ended was the first confirmation of that.
It seems the top national insiders are hearing the same things. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network appeared on the air with an update on the Bears’ situation. He admitted that from the people he’s talked to, everybody is on edge behind the scenes at Halas Hall. Nobody knows anything about what is going to happen. That includes the men at the top in Pace and Nagy.
Maybe even team president Ted Phillips as well.
Speculation has run rampant around this team for several weeks. Some believe it’s possible the 63-year old Phillips could retire or be reassigned. This would pave the way to install some sort of President of Football Operations to oversee that area of the organization. Either way, the common thread is most agree the man in the greatest danger is Pace. After six seasons as GM, the Bears have just one winning season and three major misfires at quarterback.
Nagy? He managed to just barely avoid his first losing season in 2020 and snuck into the playoffs courtesy of the NFL expanding the field from six teams to seven. His offense continues to look unimaginative and lacks an identity. It’s never reached the top 20 in the league and has managed 25 total points in two playoff losses to the Eagles and Saints.
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George McCaskey can’t let personal feelings cloud his judgment
He likes and respects both men. They’ve conducted themselves very well in front of the cameras and behind the scenes. Their characters are solid. That being said, this shouldn’t be the primary focus of McCaskey’s evaluation. It must be about the bottom line. Do these two have the Chicago Bears pointed in the right direction? If the answer is no, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest that is true, then changes must be made.
No franchise quarterback. Some bloated contracts for players that look undeserving of them. A general lack of discipline. Guys getting ejected. Not enough complementary football. Always looking inferior against good teams. These are facts. Yes, the Bears looked so promising in 2018. That was three years ago. It has to be about the now and the future. Pace and Nagy failed to improve the now. Why should they be trusted with the future?
It would be a genuine shock if changes aren’t made.
The two men are currently at Halas Hall pleading their cases and offering their plans for 2021 and beyond. George McCaskey can’t afford to let his own emotions cloud the issue. He must do what is best for his football team. Sources continue to indicate he isn’t afraid to make sweeping changes. The problem is he isn’t entirely sure if he should.