When Ryan Pace became the new Chicago Bears‘ General Manager in January 2015, it was a fresh breath of air as his predecessor, Phil Emery, lasted just three years at the position. Emery had previous ties to the organization, and, before him, Jerry Angelo’s 11-year stint from 2001-2011 resulted in just five winning seasons.
Pace had been with the New Orleans Saints franchise since 2001, working his way up from an operations assistant to the director of player personnel. But he’s had just one winning season in his first five years.
Granted, he inherited an aging roster, but 2018 looked like the Bears were on the cusp of something special.