The Ryan Pace era began with optimism but ended with disappointment. After arriving in Chicago in 2015, Pace built a NFC North division championship team in 2018 and orchestrated the trade for star edge rusher Khalil Mack. But Pace took Mitchell Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback of the future and a series of costly decisions led to his firing in 2021.
The Bears once again have optimism under Ryan Poles and a franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams. But Pace’s decisions are still haunting the franchise. A move on Sunday added one final demerit on Pace’s tenure and leaves Chicago still looking to clean up the mess he left behind.
Teven Jenkins Departure Adds Another Black Mark to Ryan Pace’s Tenure With Bears
The latest example stems from Teven Jenkins' agreement to sign with the Cleveland Browns last weekend. Jenkins' depature means none of the players Pace selected in 2021, his final draft with the Bears, are left on the roster. This also leaves just two players remaining from the Pace regime: cornerback Jaylon Johnson and tight end Cole Kmet.
If you’re wondering how the Bears got here, it’s in their draft history. The Pace regime began with selecting Kevin White with the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft. But he couldn’t stay healthy long enough to make an impact. Leonard Floyd was the next first-round pick for the Bears in 2016 but left Chicago for the Los Angeles Rams in 2019.
The biggest whiff was Trubisky in 2017 and while Pace grabbed solid players in Roquan Smith (eighth overall pick in 2018) and David Montgomery (third-round pick in 2019), both moved on when it was time to offer them a second contract.
Other players such as Eddie Jackson, Cody Whitehair and Eddie Goldman aged out. But Pace’s final class specifically shows why his plan failed in Chicago..
Pace tried to restart the quarterback clock by selecting Justin Fields in the first round. But the Ohio State product led the Bears to a 10-28 record during his tenure and was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers when the Bears took Williams in last year’s draft. Jenkins was supposed to solidify the offensive line but his injuries became an issue and caused the Bears to trade for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson this offseason.
The rest of the 2021 class became a wasteland with offensive lineman Larry Borom, running back Khalil Herbert, wide receiver Dazz Newsome, cornerback Thomas Graham and defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga all leaving Chicago by the end of their rookie contracts.
Through the wreckage, Johnson and Kmet are the two players who are still on the roster. While Johnson has become one of the top corners in the NFL, Kmet has been a serviceable tight end, which isn’t what fans envisioned when he was selected with the 43rd overall pick in the 2020 draft.
With Pace gone, his draft failures have left a residual effect on the Bears’ roster building process as they look to move ahead with Poles and new head coach Ben Johnson.