Matt Nagy was an easy decision for the Chicago Bears. He was front and center for all of their on-field problems. Especially on offense. However, many people argued that GM Ryan Pace was as big of one thanks to his high-profile mistakes both in the draft and free agency. Mistakes that finally resulted in the team falling apart this season. After evaluating the entire situation, George McCaskey has chosen to part ways with him as well.
It ends a rather mixed era for Bears football. Pace actually did a fine job finding some really good players over the years. Eddie Jackson, Roquan Smith, David Montgomery, Akiem Hicks, Khalil Mack, and Jaylon Johnson were just some of the highlights. However, his ultimate demise came down to two key mistakes. Drafting Mitch Trubisky in 2017 over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Then hiring Nagy the next year.
Bears fired Ryan Pace, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 10, 2022
More from @gmfb on the blowup in Chicago with Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace both out, as well as the firing of Brian Flores in Miami. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/Tj7PGUjTxT
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 10, 2022
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GMs just don’t recover from whiffing on two such vital decisions.
Ryan Pace had the right plan. He wanted to rebuild the Bears around the quarterback position. To modernize the organization for 21st-century thinking. This was a good idea. Sadly his implementation of the plan was flawed. He cut too many corners in the process before the 2017 draft, refusing to meet personally with Watson. Then he hired Nagy just 24 hours after their first interview together. A knee-jerk reaction in hindsight.
Now he’ll enter unemployment wonder what he should’ve done differently. Pace won’t have a hard time finding work. He will be a personnel director somewhere before too long. The guy was always a sharp talent evaluator. As evidenced by his impressive work in the later rounds of the draft. In the end, it wasn’t enough. Just one winning season in seven years and no playoff victories. It was time for a change. Now it comes down to what McCaskey does to replace him.
