Bears general manager Ryan Pace thought Mike Glennon had the “it” factor. He traded up for Mitch Trubisky instead of settling for Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson. He paid Chase Daniel $5 million a year. He thought Nick Foles’ success in good offenses made him a good fit for Matt Nagy’s fledgling offense.
So of course Pace’s ringing endorsement of veteran Andy Dalton last week was a little unsettling to many Bears fans, critics and analysts who want Justin Fields’ developmental clock to start right now. Pace has had his share of hits and misses in seven years as GM, but it’s his dubious, mystifying record of quarterback evaluation that tips the scale in the negative.