It took five minutes for Bears chairman George McCaskey to be asked the question synonymous with his year-end sessions, be they after firing a coach, making the playoffs or, as was the case Sunday, going 8-8: What did his mom think of the season?
McCaskey paused, thinking about franchise matriarch Virginia McCaskey, who turns 97 on Jan. 5.
“Like all Bears fans, she’s disappointed. …” he said. “The hope was there. The Bears were back. And then to take a step back was especially disappointing. And she feels it, like all Bears fans do.”
This year’s Super Bowl falls on Feb. 2, her late father George Halas’ birthday.
“You know, we talked a lot about because the 2018 season kind of set the stage: ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful in our centennial season, on George Halas’ birthday, to win the Super Bowl?’” he said. “And it didn’t work out. Everybody knows winning the Super Bowl in any season under any circumstances is special.”
The expectation among the Bears’ senior staff members — George McCaskey and president/CEO Ted Phillips — is to take another run at the Super Bowl next season.
“I think should be able to turn it around next year,” Phillips said. “I mean, we were 12-4 just a year ago. We had the coach of the year, the executive of the year. They haven’t lost their abilities, and we haven’t lost the talent level. We’ve just got to be able to maximize it better this coming season.”
McCaskey stressed, though, that any offseason changes would be left to Pace and coach Matt Nagy. Asked about the decision to declare quarterback Mitch Trubisky the starter, or whether the team should bring in a competent backup, or even whether Pace was wise to trade up in the draft for him three years ago, McCaskey gave a version of the same answer: everything is up to Pace and Nagy.
“Bears fans should be relieved that I don’t get involved in the football decisions,” he said with a smile. “That’s all Ryan and Matt. And we’re confident in them making the right decisions for the Bears going forward.”
The Bears believe in both men but “can’t be afraid to point the finger at ourselves,” McCaskey said.
“Matt says he wants to know what he can do to make us better, Ryan wants to know what he can do to make us better,” he said. “And the same applies to me. I want to know what I can do to make us better. Is it staffing? Is it resources? Is it facilities? Do I need to ask more questions? Do I need to ask fewer questions?
“It’s a balancing act. You want to be involved, but you don’t want to interfere. We’ll just have to see how it plays out.”
