General manager Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy were fired by the Chicago Bears on Monday.
The anticipated move is the latest reset for the franchise and comes at the conclusion of a 6-11 season that ended with a 31-17 loss at Minnesota on Sunday.
“I’ve never been in this position before,” Nagy said after the loss to the Vikings. “Whatever is supposed to happen will happen.”
Chairman George McCaskey said Monday afternoon he would oversee the search for a general manager and head coach along with CEO Ted Phillips and former Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian. A Hall of Fame inductee as a GM, Polian will act as an advisor, McCaskey said, and they’ve been consulting for “a few weeks.”
“We’re confident that with the experience we’ve gained, with the makeup of our search team, we will find a general manager and head coach who will lead us to the success that all Bears fans deserve,” McCaskey said.
Nagy guided Chicago to the playoffs twice in four seasons. He posted a 34-31 record but went 0-2 in the playoffs and was 1-7 against the Green Bay Packers.
Pace, hired in 2015, is likely to be remembered for his aggressive maneuvering with draft picks. He traded first-round picks to acquire pass rusher Khalil Mack, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and quarterback Justin Fields. Pace previously worked in the personnel department for the Saints, another team that doesn’t mind parting with draft capital to acquire talent.
The next regime enters without a first-rounder, which goes to the New York Giants as part of the 2021 draft-day trade that helped the Bears move up for Fields.
Nagy came to Chicago after one season as offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs. But he was not the offensive play-caller in Kansas City — head coach Andy Reid had that responsibility — and was relatively untested.
After going 12-4 and winning the North division in 2018, Nagy was 8-8 in 2019 and 2020.
–Field Level Media
