Rumors are an inevitable thing this time of year. As a regular season comes to a close, teams that fail to succeed often get ready to make changes at the top of their organizations. The Chicago Bears figure to be one of them. Matt Nagy is expected to get fired as head coach. As for GM Ryan Pace, the situation is less certain. Recent hints from multiple local beat writers suggest a belief that he will be kept by the organization.
What remains uncertain is whether that would be as GM or some other unspecified role. Smart money says it will either be as GM or nothing else. So presuming the McCaskeys decided to give him another chance to hire the right head coach, the next part is obvious. Finding the candidate that he might go after.
While some might fear keeping Pace will limit the number of candidates the Bears can explore, the truth is it shouldn’t. Not by a lot anyway. There are a number of names out there that would probably work with him without any concerns. Here are five to keep in mind as January 10th approaches.
Ryan Pace has a number of coaches he could go after
Sean Payton (HC, New Orleans Saints)
This is the easiest connection to make for obvious reasons. Pace worked closely with Payton for years from 2006 to 2014. The two grew close in that time with the head coach considering the Bears GM one of the most valuable assets in the Saints’ front office. A reunion might seem appealing to the head coach, especially with the idea of overseeing the development of Justin Fields. That combination would have a chance to do something truly special. New Orleans has quarterback problems of their own along with a massive salary cap crisis looming this offseason.
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Dan Quinn (DC, Dallas Cowboys)
Prior to hiring John Fox in 2015, the word is Pace planned to hire Quinn as the next Bears head coach. They even had a verbal agreement according to one Bears insider. In the end, it didn’t happen. Quinn was busy in the playoffs and by the time his season was over, Fox had become available and the Bears pounced. Now there could be a second chance. Quinn has overseen a drastic turnaround of the Cowboys defense, taking them from 28th in points allowed last season to 7th. He also got Atlanta to a Super Bowl as their head coach in 2016. The guy has gotten results everywhere he’s been.
Todd Bowles (DC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Another prominent candidate that Ryan Pace was interested in seven years ago was Bowles. At the time he was having big success in Arizona as a defensive coordinator. He eventually got the head coaching job with the Jets and as of today produced their last winning season. Then after leaving there, he landed in Tampa Bay and helped them win a Super Bowl in 2020. Despite a myriad of injuries this year, the Buccaneers are still 10th in points allowed this season. Like Quinn, he has success at every stop. His tough, aggressive mindset would fit Chicago well.
Josh McDaniels (OC, New England Patriots)
Pace met with McDaniels the same week he interviewed Nagy back in 2018. The meeting reportedly went well. The two sides came away impressed with each other. It’s fair to wonder if the Bears GM regrets not going that direction. Especially since McDaniels has won another Super Bowl and turned rookie Mac Jones into a capable starter this season. The man is undeniably one of the best offensive minds of this generation. He is also said to be a fan of Fields, having scouted him heavily before the draft. That combination could be a sight to see, even at the risk of McDaniels’ supposed leadership question marks.
Jim Harbaugh (HC, Michigan)
The rumors have been out there for a long time. Harbaugh is a former Bears quarterback and admirer of Mike Ditka. Insiders believe the Bears job is one he has coveted for a long time. Now it’s about to become available and smoke has started picking up that he is considering a jump back to the NFL. His track record speaks for itself. He went to three NFC championships and a Super Bowl with San Francisco. He just took Michigan to their first Big Ten title in 17 years. The man has been a winner everywhere he has coached. Would he be willing to work with Ryan Pace? That isn’t clear but given the supposed interest Chicago has in him, it’s worth keeping in mind.
