The Bears announced a two-year contract extension for General Manager Ryan Pace through 2021. That means the new coach likely gets a four-year deal to put the two on the same timetable.
The Bears are showing their faith in Pace to find a coach and add more talent despite the results in his tenure thus far.
“He’s earned the opportunity to see his plan to fruition,” Bears CEO Ted Phillips said in announcing the extension, via quotes tweeted by the team.
Pace fired John Fox after a 14-34 record in three seasons. Yet, the G.M. credited Fox for helping “set the foundation for this organization to reach new heights.”
Fox’s firing and Pace’s extension obviously says the team put more responsibility for the team’s failures on the coach than on the G.M. But Pace accepted some of the blame, as well he should if for nothing else than the Mike Glennon signing.
“I understand the results on the field are also a result of me, and I have to do a better job,” Pace said.
The Bears will build around Mitchell Trubisky, and an offensive-minded coach makes sense for where the team is. But Pace left his options open, saying, “I don’t want to paint ourselves in a corner. We want the best coach.”