The Chicago Bears cleaned house in firing general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy on Monday, leaving two big job openings up for grabs with the charter franchise of the NFL.
Chicago figures to be an attractive destination for prospective GMs and head coaches, even despite the dysfunction on display with Chairman George McCaskey.
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said the Bears made the right move in firing Pace, and he noted that it’s the most attractive GM opening for one big reason: quarterback Justin Fields.
“That’s what they needed to do,” Riddick said. “I do believe that that becomes job number one that people would want. I believe that became job number one because of Justin Fields.”
MNF's Louis Riddick reacting to the firing of Ryan Pace on @dpshow
"That's what they needed to do. I do believe that that becomes job number one that people would want. I believe that become job number one because of Justin Fields."
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) January 11, 2022
And that would certainly apply for the vacant head coach position, as well.
While Fields had a rocky rookie season, he has all of the tools to become a great quarterback in this league. He just needs the right coaches in place to get him there. There’s no denying his ceiling is sky high, which should lure plenty of candidates to interview for GM and head coach.
Here’s a look at the complete list of head coach and GM candidates the Bears have requested to interview:
