Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace are the current GM and head coach combination for the Chicago Bears. It seemed like that match might finally be what the organization was looking for. They rumbled to a 12-4 record in 2018 and were a missed field goal away from a playoff victory. However, things have leveled off considerably since then.
After a strong start in 2019, they stumbled to 8-8. Now here in 2020, they again got off to a good start (5-1) but have since lost five in a row to reach 5-6. Just like that, both men find themselves on the hot seat. Unless they almost run the table down the stretch, speculation is growing they’ll be gone by early next month.
If that is the case, who could end up replacing them? Nobody knows for sure but here are five potential GM/head coach combinations that would make a ton of sense for this team.
Chicago Bears head coach/GM pairings to replace Nagy and Pace
Jeff Ireland and Joe Brady
Brady is the hot name going around the media lately. The Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator has done some really impressive work this season. Teddy Bridgewater has a 96.3 passer rating in his first year as a starter since 2015. Mike Davis has 833 yards from scrimmage in place of the injured Christian McCaffrey while D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson are both about to crack 1,000 yards receiving. All this a year after winning a national title at LSU and making Joe Burrow a Heisman winner.
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Jeff Ireland is somebody who knows him well. He’s been the assistant GM and college scouting director for the Saints since 2015. So he was there when Brady started his ascent up the ranks as an assistant coach for New Orleans in 2017 and 2018. Ireland would be perfect for such a young head coach since he has prior experience as a GM from his days in Miami and did a strong job finding a quarterback in Ryan Tannehill. Not to mention his exemplary work finding offensive talent for the Saints.
Louis Riddick and Arthur Smith
Bears fans have become enamored with the idea of Riddick as the next GM. He’s an intelligent and charismatic analyst for ESPN. Somebody who knows his stuff and isn’t afraid to share his opinion. On top of that, he had a decade of experience as a scout and personnel direction. Not to mention six seasons of playing in the NFL. He’s seen every side of the game conceivable and learned under some incredible coaches like Joe Gibbs and Andy Reid.
A lot of people may not know this but Riddick has ties Smith. The Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator was actually a defensive quality control coach in Washington in 2007 when Riddick was the director of pro personnel there. That familiarity along with the superb work Smith has done with guys like Tannehill, Derrick Henry, and A.J. Brown can’t be ignored. People thought Tannehill was a lost cause. Now he’s a Pro Bowler.
Brian Xanders and Brandon Staley
Staley was the defensive coordinator at John Carroll University in 2016. Think about this. He went from that to Chicago Bears outside linebackers coach in 2017 to Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator by 2020. Talk about a meteoric rise. No doubt a sign that the young coach might be pretty good at this job. The Rams having the 2nd overall defense in the NFL backs up this argument. He’s becoming known for his razor-sharp intelligence and motivational skills. Not to mention a fierce competitive streak.
Somebody he’s likely gotten to know in recent months is Xanders, a senior personnel guy in the Rams front office for the past four years now. He’s been a key underling of Les Snead and prior to that was the GM of the Denver Broncos from 2009 to 2012. During that time he basically laid the groundwork for their 2015 Super Bowl team with guys like Demaryius Thomas, Von Miller, Derek Wolfe, and Danny Trevathan. It’s probably not a coincidence the Broncos started struggling in the draft after he left. The Rams? He’s helped build a competitive roster there despite no 1st round picks yet in his tenure.
Rick Smith and Mike McDaniel
In terms of free agents? They don’t get much better than Rick Smith. He was the GM for the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2017 and had a tremendous run of success in the draft. Among the highlights were Mario Williams, Brandon Brooks, J.J. Watt, Duane Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, and Deshaun Watson. Many feel he was unjustly run out of town due to a power struggle with then-head coach Bill O’Brien. Now the 50-year old is ready for his next shot.
Mike McDaniel isn’t a name that’s generated a ton of media coverage for a possible head coach next year. Rest assured that is slowly changing. While Kyle Shanahan gets most of the credit for the offensive success in San Francisco, many believe the sustained success of their running game down there is thanks to McDaniel. He also has experience as a receivers coach, getting career years from guys like Pierre Garcon and Andrew Hawkins. Smith should know him well, having seen him work in Houston from 2006 to 2008.
George Paton and Eric Bienemy
Bears fans might not be wild about the idea of hiring another Chiefs offensive coordinator after what just happened with Matt Nagy. Yet it’s hard to ignore the groundswell behind Bieniemy. The Chiefs offense hit another level when he took over in 2018 and it hasn’t slowed down. They’ve already set records and won the Super Bowl. Now they’re gunning for another. Bieniemy is also significantly more experienced than Nagy was, having coached football dating back to 2001.
George Paton was a personnel director for the Chicago Bears in 2000 and a scout before that. He’s been the assistant GM for the Minnesota Vikings since 2012 and the right-hand man of Rick Spielman, one of the best in the business. Paton had a hand in finding some top players like Harrison Smith, Adam Thielen, Danielle Hunter, Dalvin Cook, Anthony Barr, and Justin Jefferson. He also knows Bieniemy well when the man was running backs coach for the Vikings from 2006 to 2010.