The Chicago Bears have been forthright on a lot of things lately. Or at least they’re trying to be. Yet this organization has developed a reputation for being as secretive as possible in regards to its inner workings. As if some NFL conspiracy will expose everything and it’ll be the end of civilization. Nobody seems to have told George McCaskey that’s not how this works. Nowhere is this baffling procedure more evident than the contract status of Ryan Pace.
Here’s the thing. The status of player contracts is common knowledge. Everybody knows how many years they have and how much money they’re being paid. Yet when it comes to the GM? Chicago has steadfastly refused to comment on it. Initially, it was believed Pace had one year left on his current deal. However, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune said a couple of weeks ago he had sources saying the Bears quietly gave him a one-year extension.
This in order to line his contract up with head coach Matt Nagy.
When asked if this was true during the end-of-season press conference, everybody including team president Ted Phillips and Pace himself refused to discuss the matter. It was such an odd thing to dodge. Now matters got even weird. Not too long ago it said on the Bears official website that the GM had signed his extension through 2021. Now it appears that singular line was removed from his bio.
Ryan Pace's page on the #Bears website no longer says he is under contract through the 2021 season. https://t.co/JHHVTQFOBi
— Andrew Dannehy (@ADannehy) January 25, 2021
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What does this mean? Is it a subtle admission by the organization that Pace was indeed given an extension and they want people to stop asking about it? If anything this is only going to make matters worse. Everybody loves a good mystery and this figures to be one of the biggest of the offseason until the Bears finally provide a clear answer on the subject.
Is Ryan Pace in as much danger as people think?
The general consensus among Bears fans is 2021 will be the last stand of the GM. He either has to deliver a winning season or he is most likely gone. This latest revelation at least inserts a twinge of doubt in that theory. Rumors have persisted for months that the McCaskey family likes Pace. They view him as a great leader for the organization. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog, who has solid connections to the organization, said this.
The whole of Bears world thinks Pace and Nagy are lame ducks in 2021.
I don’t. https://t.co/YEWtasOk4i
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) January 25, 2021
McCaskey said himself he thinks Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy are still young and growing into their respective positions. The Bears have yet to have a losing season under them in three years. They’ve made the playoffs twice. If they can find themselves a quarterback, that could finally get this team over the hump and into the conversation of Super Bowl contender.
At least that seems to be the hope.
Maybe he’s right. Plenty of people think he’s wrong. His decision to maintain the status quo could go down as one of the biggest gambles of his tenure as chairman. If things end up working out, maybe then he’ll spill the details on this whole contract nonsense.