Chicago Bears: 5 under the radar candidates to replace Ryan Pace

Who are some options to replace Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace?

The Chicago Bears are trending in the wrong direction, having lost their last three games. If that trend continues, not only could they look to change head coaches next year, but also replace Ryan Pace, their general manager.

Supporters of Pace will cite the fact that he inherited a bare, aging roster devoid of much talent on both sides of the football. While that is true, the fact remains that through his first five full seasons as general manager, he is 34-46 and his team currently sits at 5-4. In those five years, the Bears have exactly one winning season and one playoff appearance.

To put this in perspective, Thomas Dimitroff, who was recently fired by the Atlanta Falcons inherited a team in 2008 that had gone 4-12 the previous season. It’s starting quarterback was Joey Harrington. In his first year as general manager, the Falcons finished 11-5 and made the playoffs. In his 12+ seasons, his record was 109-83, including six playoff appearances including a trip to the Super Bowl. So the “blame his predecessor” excuse only goes so far.

As for Pace, despite building a defense that is at or near the top of the league each year, his incompetence on the offensive side simply cannot be ignored. Whether it’s his ability to evaluate the quarterback position (Mike Glennon and Mitch Trubisky), or the tight end position (Dion Sims, Adam Shaheen, and Trey Burton), or his gross neglect of the offensive line, the results on offense speak for themselves.

If the Bears decide to move on this year, it would be hard to blame them. While we previously highlighted some potential replacements, we now want to take a look at some options that may not be as well known and could be flying under the radar. So here they are in no particular order.