Journal #5: The Future of the Chicago Bears is at Risk

Finally, the day has come that Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace are no longer working for the Chicago Bears. If you have listened to The Little Aussie Podcast with me and Ok Listen Here Athlete Tyler Keaton, you have heard my thoughts on the Chicago Bears organization. The inspiration behind this journal entry follows George H. McCaskey's end-of-season press conference following the release of Nagy and Pace. George H. McCaskey is the current Chairman of the Chicago Bears and George Halas' grandchild for those unaware. ​

Since McCaskey was appointed Chairman, the Chicago Bears have appeared in two playoff games, both of which they lost, gone through three coaching changes, and a disgustingly high number of starting quarterbacks. After listening to his interview on January 10, 2022, it is evident that McCaskey is more concerned with the business of the Chicago Bears than he is with the team's success. In some instances, this philosophy can be successful because it allows the General Manager and the Coach to do what they feel is best for the team without someone looking over their shoulder. But, unfortunately, with this comes a lot of inconsistency, and to some fans, this gets fatiguing. 

This upcoming season we Chicago Bears fans have no idea what to expect. I believe that an organization is only as good as its ownership. Unfortunately for fans, McCaskey is more concerned with dollar signs than wins and losses, as mentioned in the last paragraph. Though Nagy and Pace had their fair share of issues, a winning culture and expectations have to come from the top. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bears have not, and more than likely will not, have that culture and expectations until the McCaskey family decides to sell the team. The McCaskeys are a football family, but nepotism has prevented the Chicago Bears from having the best individuals run that team. 

I blamed the last few seasons on Matt Nagy, but we should only blame Nagy for 20% of the team's failures. I understand that this will be a very controversial take, and I am likely in the minority here but hear me out. We saw how well Nagy could do in his first season. The drafting of Trubisky was not a wrong move. While every year following Nagy's first year was less than exceptional, we have to understand that Nagy's superiors did not exactly help him out. 

I'm not a genius, but I am almost certain Mike Glennon is nowhere near worth $45 million over three years. Let's also not forget when the Chicago Bears had ten tight ends on the team at one time. These mistakes that should have never happened were Ryan Pace's fault. The fact that ownership allowed Pace to allocate resources this way is even more of a disgrace and is a prime example of why ownership needs to be involved in the decision-making on where resources are allocated. 

To some extent, I am somewhat hopeful of what is to come for the Chicago Bears. Hopefully, the new Coach and General Manager learn from Pace and Nagy's mistakes, and hopefully, the McCaskey Family has learned something as well. While it is vital to allow General Managers and Coaches to feel trusted in their decision-making, there still must be checks and balances. The NFL and any professional league is a bottom-line business. There cannot be any more "They made the playoffs twice as the last seeded team.". The expectation has to be making playoffs every year. The organization has an opportunity to shift its priorities and expectations for on the field performance to set the team up for long-term success, and only time will tell if this organization cares about winning.