Matt Nagy continues to get all the attention as the Chicago Bears resume their painful death march towards another lost season. At 4-8, their playoff hopes are all but mathematically dashed. The only thing left to do is play out the string. Nagy’s offense remains a chore to watch and the same problems of discipline remain. Everybody knows he is gone. The conversation shouldn’t be about him anymore. It should be about the one who hired him.
It is about time Ryan Pace got his moment under the microscope. He has just as much responsibility for this disaster as Nagy does. He hired the head coach, built that offense, and put this team in a position where they have an old and banged-up roster. Not to mention the salary cap issues. Sure, he drafted Justin Fields. So what? The kid is talented but nobody can anoint him a true franchise quarterback yet.
So what does Pace have to hang his hat on?
None of his more recent draft picks are performing at what would be considered a high level. Jaylon Johnson has promise but his strong start has tapered off. Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet continue to suffer from consistency problems. Not enough is happening to justify keeping Pace around. Maybe that changes in the last five games but given the current trend, it feels unlikely. This team is in need of a full housecleaning.
Presuming that happens, where do the Bears go at GM? Recent rumblings suggest they’d prefer to target somebody with experience. If this holds true, then George McCaskey needs to start shifting his attention up north to Minnesota. There is a growing possibility the rival Vikings might do a purge of their own, meaning GM Rick Spielman could end up becoming available. If so, that is a phone call the team chairman has to make immediately.
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Chicago Bears must watch Spielman carefully
If one were to talk about this a few months ago, people would’ve laughed. Spielman has run the show in Minnesota since 2012. One of the longest-tenured GMs in the league. For good reason too. He has provided that organization with a steady stream of stud players since taking over. Among them include Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes, Cordarrelle Patterson, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Stefon Diggs, Danielle Hunter, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, and Justin Jefferson.
Unfortunately, this sustained success hasn’t resulted in enough winning. Four playoff appearances and two wins in that span. Now it sounds like ownership might be losing patience. According to Minnesota-based podcast Mackey & Judd, there is a growing undercurrent of belief that Spielman could be in trouble.
Zuglad said, “There’s starting to be what I would describe as low-level rumblings about due diligence from New Jersey being done on potential replacements at both GM and coach.”
Wolfson responded, “I would say more so my end, coaching rumblings.”
To which Zuglad replied, “I can tell you right now that there have been some inquiries made internally about what about this … what about that if Rick was to be fired or step away.”
The loss to the winless Lions probably didn’t help his case.
Minnesota is 5-7 with their playoff hopes fading fast. They’ve lost four of their last six games. If they flop down the stretch, Spielman could be out. In such a case, the Chicago Bears must act fast because he won’t be unemployed long. He is a proven talent evaluator who has a particular knack for identifying great wide receivers. If there was somebody this team wanted building around Fields, it is him.
Not only that but Spielman spent three years in Chicago from 1997 to 1999. He has ties to the organization. McCaskey is familiar with him. It wouldn’t be a difficult transition. One can merely hope Minnesota does them such a favor.
