Chicago Bears fans couldn’t understand. Why would team chairman George McCaskey willingly let Matt Nagy continue as head coach after the debacle against Baltimore? It was more evident than ever how inadequate he’s become at his job. Losing at home to a backup quarterback? Unacceptable. Yet the week has passed and Nagy still has a job. This can’t be just because the organization wants to keep its tradition of never firing coaches midseason, right? This has to be about something else. That something is Ryan Pace.
Up until now, people haven’t been sure what the status is of the Bears GM. Rumors persist that he is on the hot seat but not quite to the same extent as Nagy. Some have speculated McCaskey might try to “promote” him to another position in the organization while replacing the GM spot. However, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports that doesn’t seem like a possibility with the season winding down.
“Whether it happens today, or tomorrow, or any day between now and Jan. 10 following the final game of the regular season, Bears head coach Matt Nagy will be relieved of his duties in Chicago.
It’s likely that general manager Ryan Pace will meet a similar fate, and it’ll be the dawn of a new era in the Windy City.”
This brings everything into focus.
If Jones is correct and Pace is out, it explains why the Bears haven’t made any move on Nagy. Traditionally, the organization has always operated with a top-down strategy. That is to say, ownership hires the GM and the GM hires the head coach. This helps to establish a clear hierarchy. One that plenty of other teams use. If McCaskey isn’t going to fire Nagy now, it is because he needs to find Pace’s replacement first.
Once that is done, the new GM will spearhead the search to find the head coach. That is how it went with Jerry Angelo, Phil Emery, and then Pace. No doubt McCaskey will grill candidates on what their plans for the search would be. If they have specific options in mind. No doubt it will be a critical decision given the possibility the Bears may have a franchise quarterback for the first time in years with Justin Fields.
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Ryan Pace could leave behind a complicated legacy
If he is out, his tenure will be remembered mostly for his two biggest mistakes. Trading up for Mitch Trubisky in 2017, passing on both Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Then hiring Nagy as the head coach a year later. Not only did he get the wrong quarterback, but he also failed to secure the right offensive guru to fix the Bears’ constantly broken offense. When a GM whiffs on the two most important positions in a football organization? The odds of him surviving were always going to be low.
At the same time, the man hasn’t been a complete bust. He’s found some really good players over the years from Akiem Hicks to Adrian Amos, Eddie Goldman, Eddie Jackson, Roquan Smith, David Montgomery, Darnell Mooney, and Jaylon Johnson. He also may get the credit of landing the Bears their first true franchise QB in decades with Fields. That would be a bitter irony for Ryan Pace who spent so long trying to find one only to lose his job right after doing so.
The NFL is a cold business.
So who could end up being his replacement? That is unknown. Jones indicated there will be no shortage of candidates interested in the Bears GM job. It comes down to what McCaskey is looking for. Rumors have persisted they may seek somebody with experience. Somebody who has held the position before and had success. There are certainly notable options in that regard. Former Texans GM Rick Smith is available. Former Chiefs and Browns GM John Dorsey is currently working up north in Detroit. Former Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland has done great work in New Orleans.
Then again, as was the case with Pace back in 2015, it may come down to a guy making a strong enough impression.