In case people weren’t aware of it already, frustration is mounting with Mitch Trubisky. Chicago Bears fans were told that this year would be a landmark one for the young quarterback. It was his third season and second in the Matt Nagy offense. This is typically when there should be a significant spike in the quality of play. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy believed he was headed in that direction.
What they’ve gotten instead is a redux version of his early 2018 self. Trubisky has just 348 yards passing with no touchdowns and an interception. He hasn’t even been a notable threat on the ground either with just 19 yards rushing. Trubisky did just enough in Denver to escape with a win but there hasn’t been anything about this start to offer encouragement that he’s progressed. Some believe it might even be the opposite.
It seems like the game is still moving too fast for him. His mechanics remain sloppy at times and his field vision is poor. There is no guarantee those can or will improve. Thus it looks like the Bears are stuck in an all-too-familiar position. They possess an elite defense, a good offensive line, and solid weapons on offense. Yet the quarterback position is their clear weak point. This has some looking for scapegoats with many leveling the finger at the man who invested so many resources into acquiring him.
Pace himself.
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Will Ryan Pace get another swing if Trubisky bombs?
There’s no question Pace is getting egg on his face for the decision to not only draft Trubisky but trade up for him. This when Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson were available. It’s not a good look. However, is it enough to get the man fired? That is what some are wondering. If Trubisky proves to be a disappointment in 2019 and the Bears consider hunting a replacement in 2020, will the team let Pace be the guy to conduct it?
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune doesn’t know this for sure, but everything he’s heard regarding Pace’s status in the Bears organization paints a pretty clear picture.
“Pace has done a pretty nice job completely overhauling the roster inherited when he arrived. He has been very aggressive. Some of those moves have been great. Some not so great. Same goes with free agency and the draft. There have been hits and misses. He’s under contract through 2021 and I can tell you that the organization is very pleased with how he’s handled the job.
It’s premature to speculate on Pace’s job status if Trubisky doesn’t work out, but my hunch is he would be OK when you consider the number of moves he has made that have worked well. Let’s see how this season turns out and then evaluate how they do next year. Nothing is going to happen with Pace anytime soon.”
Nobody will say Pace has been perfect.
He’s made his share of mistakes. At the same time, it’s important to remember that he is still the youngest GM in the NFL. He’d never experienced evaluating and drafting a quarterback before during his time in New Orleans. They’d gotten their answer by signing Drew Brees as a free agent. So Pace was literally flying blind in the 2017 draft. Like many young GMs, it appears he made some mistakes.
This should not discount the great work he’s done in building the rest of the roster. History shows that he can learn from prior mistakes. He misfired with Hroniss Grasu in 2015 then grabbed James Daniels last year. This has looked like a major improvement. After John Fox was a failure, he altered his approach by going with Matt Nagy as the next head. That too has proven to be a major upgrade. Is it unreasonable to think he can’t do the same with one more crack at quarterback?
Times have shown that good GMs take advantage of it.
Baltimore Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome misfired on Kyle Boller in 2003. Five years later he tried again, this time securing Joe Flacco.
Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman badly whiffed on Christian Ponder in 2011. Three years later he did much better with Teddy Bridgewater.
Washington Redskins GM Charley Casserly stumbled with Heath Schuler in 1993. He eventually struck back by securing quality names like Trent Green and Brad Johnson.
People can learn from their mistakes. It’s reasonable to think Pace is the same. Either way, it sounds like the Bears have no plans to move on from him regardless of what happens with Trubisky in the next 14 games.
