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Chicago Bears are just three games away from the end of the season. With it will come changes to their power structure. How deep those changes will go remains to be determined. It is a safe assumption Matt Nagy will be fired as head coach. As for GM Ryan Pace? His status remains uncertain. Some believe he will be out too while others claim George McCaskey is reluctant to get rid of him.
So here is the big question. What will their new regime look like come January? The best thing to do in such cases is to examine the top candidates on the market and try pairing them together. Often due to personal connections. This is the trend that seems to hold greater weight these days. Fans might be surprised by some of the realistic combinations the organization could put together.
Chicago Bears may look at these coach/GM combinations closely
Sean Payton and Ryan Pace
If there is a dream scenario for the Bears, this would be it. Payton is one of the best head coaches in the NFL. An offensive wizard with a Super Bowl ring and nine trips to the playoffs since 2006. He would be perfect for Justin Fields and even has deep ties to Chicago, having grown up in Naperville and gone to Eastern Illinois University.
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The tricky part for fans is getting Payton would likely mean Pace is staying put. They have a strong relationship dating back to their years together in New Orleans. The coach is a big admirer of the Bears GM. It isn't difficult to imagine one of the selling points for leaving the Saints would be reuniting with Pace in addition to taking over Fields' development.
Doug Pederson and Dwayne Joseph
SM has reported multiple times now that McCaskey is hoping to secure a head coach with a proven track record. Like it or not, Pederson is as proven as it gets. He has a Super Bowl ring. He only had one losing season in Philadelphia and he's proven he can develop young quarterbacks. Carson Wentz played his best football under the coach's direction.
So how does Joseph factor into this? The current Raiders director of pro personnel actually held the same position in Philadelphia from 2015 to 2018. Not only do he and Pederson know each other, but Joseph was responsible for some key acquisitions that set up their title run including Brandon Brooks, Nick Foles, Rodney McLeod, and Ronald Darby. His time as a Bears player and scout doesn't hurt his credentials either.
Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler
The Patriots offensive coordinator has a well-documented history of missteps on the head coaching front. His first stint in Denver lasted less than two seasons in 2009 and 2010. Then he backed out of the Colts job in 2018 at the last minute. Yet one can't deny the 45-year old is one of the brightest offensive minds in the league and perfect for Fields.
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The trick to making things work with him could be hiring a GM he's familiar with. In which case bringing Ziegler, New England's director of player personnel, over with him makes sense. Ziegler is a big part of the Patriots' rapid turnaround this season with Matthew Judon, Hunter Henry, Trent Brown, Mac Jones, and Christian Barmore leading the way.
Nathaniel Hackett and Jon-Eric Sullivan
The Chicago Bears have never once grabbed a coach or GM candidate directly from their biggest rival Green Bay Packers. Given how much they've dominated the rivalry? Maybe that should change. Hackett is revered in NFL circles for his motivational skills and ability to ensure his players are always prepared. His game planning skills are especially notable.
As far as who might join him in Chicago? Sullivan is reported to be the right-hand man of GM Brian Gutekunst. He's been a major player in the Packers personnel department for years and has a direct hand in several of their biggest acquisitions including Kenny Clark, Aaron Jones, Jaire Alexander, Elgton Jenkins, Za'Darius Smith, and Adrian Amos.
Greg Roman and Joe Hortiz
Few organizations have been able to deliver more consistent success over the past 20 years than the Baltimore Ravens. Roman is their offensive coordinator and the architect of Lamar Jackson's rise to stardom in the AFC. He also helped other mobile QBs find success including Colin Kaepernick and Tyrod Taylor. So pairing him with Fields is plenty logical.
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Hortiz? He is a Ravens lifer. The director of player personnel came up in their system back in the 2000s and was their director of college scouting for almost a decade. During that time they drafted 15 eventual Pro Bowlers including Kelechi Osemele, Ryan Jensen, C.J. Mosley, Za'Darius Smith, Matthew Judon, Ronnie Stanley, Marlon Humphrey, and Jackson.
Jim Harbaugh and Matt Malaspina
The rumors around Harbaugh go back a number of years. They were probably at their hottest late last season as multiple insiders suggested the Michigan head coach viewed the Chicago Bears as his dream job. The McCaskey family also seems to hold him in high regard as well. Would he leave Ann Arbor for it? That is difficult to say, but it's an option.
Maybe the biggest challenge for Harbaugh is finding a GM candidate he might work with. Malaspina is somebody he'd know well. The two worked together during the coach's four-year run in San Francisco. Malaspina had a strong hand in building that great 49ers roster as a college scouting director. A job he currently holds with the Green Bay Packers.
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