MINNEAPOLIS (670 The Score) -- Two hours before kickoff of the Bears' season finale Sunday, head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace walked side by side onto the U.S. Bank Stadium field for what will almost certainly turn out to be their final game working together.
The outcome of the Bears’ eventual 31-17 loss to the Vikings was inconsequential when assessing the body of work of their respective tenures. By Monday morning, they’re set to go their separate ways – Nagy is expected to be fired after four years in Chicago, while Pace’s place leading the football operations department is uncertain.
The past few years have been marked by the Bears’ collective decline. Now, it’s up to chairman George McCaskey to decide how he differentiates the work of Nagy and Pace before making firm choices that will change the direction of the organization.
“Whatever is supposed to happen will happen,” Nagy said. “I’m a positive person.
“Everything else will take care of itself.”
On Sunday, the row of seats in the press box typically occupied by Pace and his front office brass was empty inside U.S. Bank Stadium. It was unclear where he watched the game, but perhaps it was alongside McCaskey. That could remind of 2014, when then-Bears general manager Phil Emery joined the ownership suite in Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis one day before being fired.
If the Bears retain Pace, he’d enter an eighth season with the organization and be in line to hire his third head coach. He has the second-longest active tenure of any top NFL football executive who has never produced a playoff victory. The only longer tenure belongs to Bengals owner Mike Brown, who also leads Cincinnati’s football operations. His team just won the AFC North crown this season.
What happens with Pace remains to be seen.
“Pace has endeared himself to the family,” said one league source who believes Pace will be retained.
Another source warned that, “No good coach is coming with Pace” in the front office.
The Pace-Nagy era included two playoff appearances but no postseason victories. The Bears have experienced a disappointing downfall since 2018, when they appeared positioned for sustained success after going 12-4 and winning the NFC North title. Nagy was named AP Coach of the Year, while Pace was recognized as Sporting News Executive of the Year.
The Bears endured consecutive 8-8 regular seasons in 2019 and 2020 before entering this season hopeful for a return to contention. Their downward spiral instead continued with a 6-11 record.
With their loss Sunday, the Bears have gone 48-65 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs under Pace’s watch. They’re 34-31 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs with Nagy on the sideline.
What comes next for Nagy, Pace and the Bears isn’t publicly known yet, but their once-promising partnership is set to end.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.