A few weeks ago SM reported that the Chicago Bears were researching possible new GMs in case they had to fire Ryan Pace. This was further corroborated by former players Lance Briggs and Olin Kreutz. Both of whom stated they were hearing the organization was hunting for options. Even then some weren’t ready to believe this could be happening. Would George McCaskey actually do it?
Well, add another prominent insider to the list. Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago posted an update on the Pace situation. In it, he was crystal clear. The Bears have indeed reached out to potential candidates for the job. Gauging their interest in the position. This is a pretty big deal as it indicates the organization is inching closer to a full house cleaning. However, Hoge also made it clear that Pace’s status remains uncertain.
“With head coach Matt Nagy seemingly on his way out, the Chicago Bears have also begun to do their homework on potential general manager replacements for Ryan Pace, according to multiple league sources. That homework has included gauging back-channel interest from at least one college scouting director employed by another club, which isn’t uncommon practice when contemplating a major change.
That development does not necessarily mean a GM change is imminent, however. One complicating factor is that it’s unclear how high up the change will go. One source cautioned that the organization is likely contemplating many different options right now.”
Based on all the smoke coming out of Halas Hall lately?
The picture is becoming easier to see. Matt Nagy is likely to be fired at season’s end. His failures have become far too much to excuse at this point. Pace meanwhile is a tougher case. Despite earlier mistakes like the head coach, Mitch Trubisky, and salary cap problems? He has done a solid job adding young talent to the roster. Most notable among them is quarterback Justin Fields who already has a massive backing inside that building. Many believe he is that long-awaited franchise quarterback they’ve sought for years.
Like it or not, Pace is the man most directly responsible for making sure the Bears got him in the draft. Is it really fair to fire the guy before giving him an opportunity to build around the quarterback he fought so hard to find? This is the difficult scenario McCaskey is trying to sort through. All while considering possible changes to the entire football operations.
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Chicago Bears should have plenty of takers for the job
Rest assured that those inside Halas Hall aren’t the only ones who are high on Fields as a quarterback. Plenty of people around the NFL likely feels the same way. Most GMs often take over a job where they have no quarterback in addition to no roster. This case will be different. They’d not only have Fields in place but also some promising young talents to work with like David Montgomery, Darnell Mooney, Roquan Smith, and Jaylon Johnson.
It comes down to whether the Chicago Bears succeed where they have failed in the past. Choosing the right guy for the job. In truth, they really haven’t been able to nail down the GM position since Jim Finks stepped away in 1983. Everybody who has held the title since then has disappointed to varying degrees from Jerry Vainisi to Jerry Angelo, Phil Emery, and Pace. All had one or two notable successes, but not nearly enough to make this organization a regular contender.
Could the next guy finally end the drought?
That would be the hope. McCaskey hasn’t reached that decision yet. He is still determining what to do with Pace and getting an idea of what the market of alternatives looks like. With two weeks left before teams can start interviewing candidates, this is a wise approach. When the decision does come, one can only hope it’s made with the head and not the heart.