General manager Ryan Pace’s life changed a year ago Saturday.
That’s when the Raiders, having solicited the best offers for Khalil Mack from select NFL teams, notified the Bears that they had a deal for the star edge rusher. The Bears had a 24-hour window to negotiate a new contract for Mack.
It was done in mere hours. By the end of the evening of Aug. 31, 2018, the Bears had an agreement in place. Word didn’t leak until early the next morning.
Pace doesn’t mess around this time of year. In his four previous seasons, he’s cut a two-time Pro Bowl player [cornerback Tim Jennings, 2015] and the Bears’ all-time leading scorer [kicker Robbie Gould, 2016].