Ryan Pace saved himself back in 2018 with a flurry of moves to make the Chicago Bears competitive. He hired Matt Nagy as head coach, snagged Allen Robinson in free agency, and traded for Khalil Mack. That turned them into a division winner. Sadly, the NFL doesn’t reward people for past successes. Stars fall remarkably fast in this league.
After five seasons in charge, Pace’s team posted a winning record just once. While he did have to rebuild the roster practically from scratch, the reality is it could’ve gone a lot faster if he hadn’t many so many questionable decisions. Especially in the draft. Kevin White? Bust. Leonard Floyd? Disappointment. Mitch Trubisky? The wrong quarterback.
Pace deserves credit for some really good moves. Signing Robinson and Akiem Hicks. Trading for Mack. Drafting Eddie Goldman, Cody Whitehair, and Eddie Jackson. Yet it’s not enough. Peter King of NBC Sports made that abundantly clear. The longtime insider wasn’t entirely subtle when he suggested the GM is done in Chicago if the Bears don’t deliver this season.
“Chicago GM Ryan Pace trading tight end Adam Shaheen—a second-round pick in 2017 who never ascended to even decency, in part because of injury—for a conditional sixth-round pick is another black mark on the Bears’ personnel record. Let’s just say that Bear success in the 2020 season is vital for Pace’s future.”
What will the Ryan Pace legacy be if he’s out?
Unfortunately the same as most other men who’ve held the title of GM in Chicago. A guy who managed to build an excellent defense but couldn’t do the same on offense. All of it punctuated by repeated failures to find a quarterback. For him it was Trubisky. Jerry Angelo had Rex Grossman. Mark Hatley had Cade McNown. Bill Tobin had Jim Harbaugh. Yet for Pace it’s probably the worst because he had two All-Pros sitting in his lap in Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
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That colossal miscalculation is a stink he’ll likely never be able to wash off. Pace will find work again if he leaves Chicago. Yet the odds of him one day regaining the GM title are remote. He desperately needs this team to win this year. If only to restore some of his reputation and give him more time to correct those mistakes.
Can the Bears do it? Yes. They still have a great defense. If either Trubisky or Nick Foles can turn in a passable season, it’s not impossible.