Chicago Bears: At what point does the seat get hot for Ryan Pace?

After two seasons as the general manager of the Chicago Bears, Ryan Pace’s team has a 9-23 record. Injuries played a big part in that, but at what point does he start feeling the heat?

The Chicago Bears had another horrible season last year. It’s been six seasons now since they played in the playoffs. It seems like such a long time ago, but it’s only been a decade since they appeared in the Super Bowl.

Over that time, things have deteriorated to the point where the Bears won just four home games during Pace’s tenure.

The natives are restless. Fewer fans attend the games, and the relationship between players and fans is deteriorating.

Normally this would be bad for the general manager. The man Pace replaced, Phil Emery, produced 23 wins in three seasons yet lost his job after not making the playoffs in those seasons.

Pace is entering his third season, but he won’t have anything near 23 wins unless they somehow become a Super Bowl-caliber team overnight. He appears to be safe, however.

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Yes, last season was horrible. However, injuries played a big part of the struggles. It seemed that every unit got hit with the injury bug except for the running backs. At points during the season, undrafted rookie free agents started games for the team.

Those injuries bought Pace some time. So too did the drafting of Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears and Pace invested a lot in Trubisky so they want to see how he pans out. Of course, Pace’s job security could ultimately rest with Trubisky’s play.

Should that be, though? Even when analyzing the roster last season, it wasn’t a world beater. Hopes did not run high among experts that the Bears could muster a .500 season, let alone make a playoff run.

Pace’s moves this offseason put more attention on him. Giving away treasured draft picks to move up one pick and get a guy they probably could get if they stood still will linger in people’s minds. Pace has done a good job of drafting for the most part. Yes, Kevin White has yet to show his abilities. He drafted Eddie Goldman, Cody Whitehair, Leonard Floyd, Adrian Amos, and Jordan Howard, all picks who show promise. Instead of relying on his scouting and drafting skills, he gave away picks. The Bears started with seven picks in this draft, yet ended up with just five.

Instead of relying on his scouting and drafting skills, he gave away picks. The Bears started with seven picks in this draft, yet ended up with just five. He put his trust in a small draft class and the return of a lot of players who suffered injuries to increase the win total.

Bears ownership appears to give Pace some leeway. Many feel Trubisky’s development will be the key. While that may be true, the team must somehow find a way to show improvement. If they end up with another three, four, or five-win season, why should Pace continue the charade? What good is having Trubisky do well if other units on the team suffer?

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I hope Ryan Pace’s moves work out, I really do. It’s just that there are a lot of “What ifs” and “Can he come back” scenarios that he depends on to bring the Chicago Bears back to glory. If those scenarios do work out, then we have another Chicago legend in the making. If not, we have another failed attempt and the franchise’s regression for possibly another decade.

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