The end of the regular season now stands just six days away. The Chicago Bears will play their finale against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis on January 9th. After that, everybody knows what comes next. Black Monday. January 10th will mark the moment when most NFL teams planning a change to their power structures will make moves official. Either at head coach, GM, or both. That is why Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace remain the hottest conversation topics in Chicago.
They survived at the end of last season despite many wanting them gone. Ownership decided to stay the course, trusting they could get the team over the hump. Instead, the Bears sagged to a 6-10 record and were knocked out of the playoff picture with almost a full month left in the season. Not exactly the “progress” people kept talking about.
So it’s time to assess the entire situation around those two men. What the latest rumors are and how they could impact the organization in the coming weeks.
Matt Nagy: He is getting fired
Some people are afraid that because the Bears have won their last two games that Nagy might be rescuing himself at the 11th hour. Don’t be fooled. Yes, last year was a similar scenario where the Bears hit an easy stretch of schedule to go on a winning streak. That time was also different because it got them to the playoffs. That isn’t happening this time. Nothing about the past two weeks has altered the perception of Nagy.
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His offense is still bad. The team doesn’t play with enough discipline. His personnel decisions continue to baffle. Outside of keeping the players invested during a lost season, there isn’t much else Nagy brings to the table. SMs sources reiterated that the head coach is gone at the end of the season. The same has been said now by multiple others including Ian Rapoport himself.
Assistants are leaving for jobs elsewhere already. They sense the end is near. Nagy has looked resigned to his fate at every press conference for weeks. It is going to happen.
Ryan Pace: A change is being recommended but McCaskey is reluctant
This is the gist of what I’ve gathered up to this point. George McCaskey has collected multiple outside advisors to do a thorough review of the entire Bears organization. Top to bottom. Then give their assessments on what is right or wrong with it. This group includes former Super Bowl winners and Hall of Famers. While it wasn’t a full consensus, the general recommendation is Pace get shown the door.
While he deserves credit for some of the young players he’s added to the roster over the past couple of years, it hasn’t been enough to counteract his bigger mistakes. Most notably drafting Mitch Trubisky and hiring Matt Nagy. After seven seasons, he has one winning record and no playoff victories. GMs have gotten fired for far less in the NFL.
The problem is McCaskey himself. He and the rest of the ownership are admirers of Pace. They respect his character and vision for the franchise. He’s also shown a steady improvement with his work in the draft over the past few years.
Names like Roquan Smith, James Daniels, Bilal Nichols, David Montgomery, Cole Kmet, Jaylon Johnson, and Darnell Mooney have all become major contributors to the team. His prized signing of 2020, Robert Quinn, just broke the single-season franchise record for sacks. Last but not least, he made the trade for Justin Fields happen. The young QB already has a lot of fans inside Halas Hall.
Is firing Pace really the best idea?
That is what McCaskey is wrestling with. All signs point to a decision still not having been reached yet. It isn’t just an admiration for the man himself but also wondering whether the organization can find somebody better. Hence the ongoing belief they’d seek a replacement with prior GM experience. Best guess? McCaskey will acquiesce to the recommendations and do a full housecleaning. Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace returned in 2021 together and now they will exit together.
