Chicago Bears: Ryan Pace, John Fox relationship is strained…or maybe it isn’t
After a draft filled with surprises for the Chicago Bears, one question arose — is the relationship between Ryan Pace and John Fox strained? The answer depends on who you speak to.
The Chicago Bears had an interesting draft over the weekend. They shocked the NFL by trading up one spot and giving up precious draft picks to select quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. They then traded down to select tight end Adam Shaheen, and again traded up to select safety Eddie Jackson. Also, they selected running back Tarik Cohen and offensive lineman Jordan Morgan.
All of that raised a lot of questions. Questions about what direction the Bears are going, questions about whether the moves made by Pace will pan out, and, most importantly, whether there is a fracture in the relationship between general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox.
Rumors swirled that when the Bears hired Fox, he wasn’t Pace’s choice. Pace wanted a young coach like Adam Gase (who came to Chicago as offensive coordinator then went to Miami and led them to the playoffs in 2016). Bears ownership, already nervous about a young general manager still in his 30’s, wanted a veteran coach. In came Fox.
Fox is an old school kind of coach. He relies on a great defense and just enough of an offense to win. He had trouble with that philosophy in Denver, where he had Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway as his general manager and future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as his starting quarterback. Elway wanted more on offense, and Fox didn’t, so he ultimately left. He then signed with the Bears.
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Pace is a new school general manager. He wants a dynamic offense to put up points on the board. It’s the way they play the NFL today.
So with this difference in philosophy, is there a rift between Pace and Fox? Well, that depends on who you ask.
CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported about how there is a perceived problem between the two:
"We don’t know what the hell they were doing,” an NFL executive told La Canfora. “It’s all anyone is talking about. It’s really bad between Pace and Fox. Fox is fuming about being left in the dark on the trade (for Trubisky). I don’t know anyone who likes their draft. From the first pick on, we can’t figure out what they were doing. Go back and look at how many small-school kids they took. People around the league are shocked. It’s really bad between Pace and Fox…Chicago’s commitment to a quarterback could help Pace hang on for a few more seasons, but the reported tension between Fox and Pace may have the young GM searching for a new head coach next offseason."
Chris Mortensen (via Bleacher Report) reported that Fox didn’t know about the trade for Trubisky until hours before the trade.
"Chicago Bears head coach John Fox reportedly didn’t learn of the team’s plan to acquire the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers until a few hours before the franchise executed the deal so it could select North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky."
Mortensen later walked back that report after the Bears’ PR people went on the offensive.
Maybe the relationship isn’t as bad as some reported
CSN Chicago’s Bears beat writer John “Moon” Mullin doesn’t seem to think there is a rift, however.
"Were GM Ryan Pace and the personnel staff really in phase with John Fox and the coaching staff? Because that really is the franchise-grade question and one with the broadest possible ramifications.The gut feeling is, yes. That’s really based just on watching the two of them together Saturday during the post-draft debriefing. If there was tension, frustration or a fracture in the relationship, the two were as good at masking it as they were concealing their draft plans.Which they could be. Maybe reading John Fox’s face is no easier than Jay Cutler’s. They wouldn’t be the first to put up a fraud façade or public face."
Next: Pace mystifies everyone with his draft moves
There may or may not be a rift between Ryan Pace and John Fox. What we know is that the entertainment level is higher at Halas Hall. It may be for all the wrong reasons, however. Let’s see if this is a step forward to reverse what so far has been a 9-23 debacle or the beginning of the end for Pace and Fox.