Bears general manager Ryan Pace was a pro personnel scout for the Saints when they fired head coach Jim Haslett after a 3-13 season marred by the impact of Hurricane Katrina. So he knows there’s a limit to extenuating circumstances in the NFL, if there are any at all.
But already we can see that making fair judgments on anyone — players, coaches and GMs included — will be difficult in a season altered by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. There’s been virtually no face-to-face contact between team personnel and players in the offseason; no on-field workouts and practices; and training camp already has been impacted.