The only voice that matters
Will Sunday’s result factor into what George McCaskey is thinking in regards to the future?
Months of speculation and uncertainty regarding the future of the Chicago Bears will be answered soon when the one voice that matters above all else is heard.
Chairman George McCaskey hasn’t spoken publicly since Sept. 10, the day this most unusual NFL season kicked off with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs rolling over the Houston Texans.
The league, against the odds, hasn’t missed a game during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Bears enter Sunday’s Week 17 meeting with the Green Bay Packers playing for a berth in the postseason. A Bears victory or a win by the Los Angeles Rams — without quarterback Jared Goff (right thumb surgery) and wide receiver Cooper Kupp (COVID-19 test) — over the Arizona Cardinals, and the Bears will be preparing for a wild-card playoff game next week.
Either way, McCaskey will be heard from soon enough, and only he knows what direction the franchise will take. Conjecture and theories will give way to his defined vision for 2021, and we will learn the status of general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy.
The Bears traditionally have waited until a season is complete to survey the entire landscape, a pragmatic approach that was challenged by an unsettled fan base during a six-game losing streak that spanned almost two months and nearly torpedoed the season. The Bears (8-7) have rallied with three consecutive wins to make the season finale meaningful, something that seemed most unlikely five weeks ago when the final seconds ticked off a 41-26 Packers victory at Lam
beau Field that wasn’t as close as the score.
Closing against the rival Packers, who have dominated the Bears for nearly three decades in the combined Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre eras, adds a wrinkle to the situation. McCaskey makes no secret of the weight he puts on the series. An upset of the Packers would benefit everyone at Halas Hall. The Bears would be unlikely to fire anyone at the highest levels coming off a 9-7 season. A lopsided loss, especially if combined with a Cardinals win, could change the tenor of discussions.
I’m not one for hanging on every word someone said nearly four months ago because circumstances change and opinions can change significantly in that span, especially over the peaks and valleys of an NFL season. But considering that’s the last time McCaskey spoke publicly, it’s at least worth reviewing his comments.
“We’re all evaluated on a regular basis,” McCaskey said. “That’s true of my performance and it’s true of Ryan’s performance. And he knows that. I’ve been impressed with his and Matt’s leadership during these chaotic, challenging times. They’ve come up with a good plan, they’re executing it well. And I’ve got to give the players a lot of credit too. We’re asking a lot of them, in terms of personal discipline and conduct away from the facility. It’s been
very encouraging to see so far.”
In that regard, Pace and Nagy have continued to excel as the Bears, through meticulous planning and responsible behavior by players and staff and perhaps a bit of luck, have not faced nearly as many disruptions and roster hurdles due to the coronavirus as many other teams. At some level, that will factor in considerations.
When the Bears hired Nagy on Jan. 8, 2018, they didn’t announce the length of his contract. A little more than a week earlier, before Pace launched the search to replace coach John Fox, the Bears awarded Pace a two-year contract extension that ran through 2021.
Later, we learned the duration of Nagy’s contract is five years, carrying through 2022. One source said it’s believed the Bears adjusted Pace’s deal to run concurrently with Nagy’s, but it’s unknown whether that happened.
That should not be viewed as a big deal in the grand scheme. When you consider the financial burden created by an overhaul, paying off one or two years on a GM’s contract isn’t an obstacle to change. Coaches are paid much more than GMs.
The Bears either will finish with a winning record for the second time in three seasons or have consecutive .500 seasons, considerably ahead of where the organization was in Pace’s first three seasons but short of the expectations created by the 12-4
breakthrough in 2018.
“With that particular position, it’s one of leadership primarily,” McCaskey said in September when asked about evaluating Pace entering Year 6. “He’s in charge of the entire football operation. So that’s a factor. Winning, of course, is part of the assessment. And then his personnel, his supervision of the personnel department, scouting department. Things of that nature.”
Nagy appears to be in good shape to return for a fourth season, something that was much less certain a month ago. The offense, after a slump that lasted more than 1½ seasons, has come to life, and while Nagy was ripe for criticism as the slog continued, he also deserves credit since turning over play-calling duties to coordinator Bill Lazor.
The Bears have scored 30 points or more in four consecutive weeks, the running game is rolling, the offensive line has been stabilized with the promotion of Sam Mustipher and Alex Bars — a pair of undrafted free agents from Notre Dame signed in 2019 — and quarterback Mitch Trubisky is playing his best football in four years.
The Bears rank 18th in scoring at 23.7 points per game, a considerable accomplishment considering where they were mired at midseason. Nagy kept the locker room focused during the team’s worst losing streak since 2002, also not a small accomplishment.
It seems most likely the Bears will choose to keep the regime in place in 2021. While an ugly loss to the Packers could reshape thinking, it’s not in the team’s nature to fire a coach with two years remaining on his contract. Marc Trestman is the only coach to be axed with that much time left on his deal, and whatever issues the team currently faces, it’s not as messy as it was at the end of that 2014 season.
Another possibility would be retaining Nagy and replacing
Pace, whose biggest failure came in the 2017 draft when he traded up to pick Trubisky at No. 2 and passed on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. But the Bears are 25-12 in Trubisky’s regularseason starts since the beginning of the 2018 season, and the failure of Nick Foles to stabilize the offense this season requires blame to be spread equally between Pace and Nagy.
Maybe the Bears could pursue a GM interested in pairing with Nagy, but that could create an awkward situation if the team regresses in 2021. The Bears finally have paid the bill for the Khalil Mack trade and have draft capital to follow up on a productive 2020 draft that produced cornerback Jaylon Johnson, tight end Cole Kmet and wide receiver Darnell Mooney.
Maintaining the course with Pace and Nagy while at least six other franchises (the Falcons, Panthers, Lions, Texans, Jaguars and Washington) seek a new general manager would provide continuity. Good luck identifying seven can’t-miss GM candidates in this cycle.
Remember, McCaskey had the faith in Pace to charge him with overseeing an expansion project at Halas Hall that produced one of the more dazzling headquarters in the NFL at a price tag that had to exceed $100 million. He wouldn’t hand over that kind of responsibility to someone he doesn’t have a high degree of faith in.
At the end of his 10th season atop the organization, McCaskey certainly will have thoughts regarding how the operation has run this year. Ultimately those are the ones that count most in the coming days and weeks.