I mean, we had to use that ^ image at least one more time, right?
It didn’t take long for former Bears general manager Ryan Pace to find a soft landing elsewhere in the NFL. Oddly enough, Pace is following in the footsteps of his predecessor:
Former Bears GM Ryan Pace joins Falcons scouting staff:https://t.co/J8Deb0W5rp
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) February 24, 2022
Pace is joining the Atlanta Falcons, per an announcement from the team. The 45-year-old joins Atlanta as a senior personnel executive on the scouting side of the organization. Flying south to jump on board with the Falcons means Pace will work with Terry Fontenot, Atlanta’s lead executive who was a co-worker with Pace while both were with the New Orleans Saints. Moreover, Pace latches on with some other familiar faces. Remember, former Bears assistants Michael Pitre, Dave Ragone, and Charles London have become Falcons coaches over the last two years. So at least there will be familiarity from that standpoint.
And in a cruel twist of fate, Pace joins a front office staff that also includes Phil Emery.
That’s right, Bears fans. The last two Bears general mangers are on the same staff in Atlanta. What an odd turn of events! Oh, to be a fly on the wall in a meeting room with those two. I can only imagine Pace riffing Emery for leaving him with an old, aging roster that needed four years to turn over. And I can envision emery countering with a quip about Pace’s missteps after taking his place in Chicago.
Pace’s Bears went 48-65 in seven season in Chicago. The team made two playoff appearances in a three-year stretch between 2-18-20, but had just one winning record in seven seasons. Hence, Pace’s dismissal from the team at the end of the 2021 season. Maybe Pace will resume a climb back up the front office ladder with humble beginnings in Atlanta. But if Emery’s path is any indication, it’ll probably be a while.