NEWSLETTER
Chicago Bears players are “pissed,” sick of “rah-rah” speeches, and it seems like frustrations are bubbling over for this team.
Meanwhile, there is a report that an “overwhelming number” of Bears players want Head Coach Matt Nagy fired.
And in a follow up tweet, Jordan Schultz makes it seem as if GM Ryan Pace isn’t safe either. “Hard to imagine a scenario where GM Ryan Pace survives as well,” Schultz tweets. “Pace has been given full reign and made the lion’s share of mistakes … The #Bears, under his guidance, have the NFL’s eighth-worst record (45-61) during his seven seasons.”
Zinging Nagy and Pace via sources in a single afternoon? That’s juicy! As is the worthwhile nugget that Schultz hosts a podcast with Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson II. Not a difficult dot connection, eh? Not that players generally throw red meat like this to wolves when it comes to general managers. But I suppose if anyone was going to bus-toss a GM, perhaps it is someone with a link to a player who didn’t get an extension he was desiring, which left him to play on the much-loathed Franchise Tag in what is becoming a disastrous walk year. Just sayin’…
On its own, the Schultz tweets are an eye-opening punch that makes you say Yo! out loud. But it feels like just the tip of the iceberg:
One thing I was told today: the momentum around firing Nagy/keeping Pace is dwindling. But Pace is clearly attempting to put some distance between himself and the head coach.
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) November 22, 2021
I think Nagy is done. And I think Bears are now working through whether to clean house fully. And ultimately I think they will. https://t.co/WK2vqcr0Ah
— DaBearsBlog (@dabearsblog) November 22, 2021
Big nugget from DBB. #Bears https://t.co/GAihhF894Q
— Bill Zimmerman (@ZimmermanSXM) November 22, 2021
Jeff Hughes from Da Bears Blog was on one today with his nuggets sharing. And if you throw this into the conversation, we have even more context showcasing a situation the seems like an every man for themselves battle royal at Halas Hall. It’s not hard to imagine these guys sensing that fundamental change is finally coming, and they want to take one last swing at ingratiating themselves with ownership before it’s too late – even if it means taking anonymous shots at others in the organization.
Especially since so much of this is coming one day after CBS analyst Tony Romo spent a chunk of Sunday’s ball game propping up a fellow Eastern Illinois University teammate’s work as GM:
https://twitter.com/paschutz/status/1462520160661782537
Tony Romo praising Ryan Pace building an offense as we watch receivers fail to create separation. pic.twitter.com/jDwh1prncy
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 21, 2021
That EIU connection between Tony Romo and Ryan Pace is in full force today. Romo is just praising the Bears all game long.
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) November 21, 2021
When Tony Romo casually mentions that Bears GM Ryan Pace told him the team was getting calls from teams at the trade deadline looking to acquire DL help because it was a place of strength (but didn't do anything). pic.twitter.com/hpK9qWEOmW
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 21, 2021
If you were listening closely to the broadcast, Romo casually dropped a “Ryan Pace told me…” in an anecdote in the early going of the broadcast, then went on to speak glowingly about him throughout the game. That felt a bit forced. As if it was a little you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours kind of situation. Sometimes, that’s how the sausage is made.
But you’re not going to fool Bears fans who know better.
For all their many flaws, the Bears tend to run a pretty tight ship. So to see a bunch of leaks spring up conveniently today seems like a red flag. Or maybe they represent just the latest red flags to pop up. Because whether it’s in-house culture problems that have been sprouting up since the beginning of the year or in-season disciplinary issues, it’s not as if there hasn’t been a shortage of them to choose from this season.
At minimum, it is a notice to keep us on our toes. There will surely be more to come in the days, weeks, and months ahead. The overhaul should have happened last year. It didn’t. This year? I mean come on. Obviously it’s coming.
Right?
