Right or wrong, people must respect Ryan Pace. The Chicago Bears GM knew a firestorm of questions was coming at the end-of-year press conference and almost all of them would focus on his embattled quarterback Mitch Trubisky. To his credit, he never seemed to get flustered. When asked straightforward the million-dollar question of whether Trubisky would remain the starter, Pace didn't flinch. He said that was the plan.
However, context is always key in these situations. Sure people would've liked a more straightforward answer, but Pace couldn't exactly throw the young quarterback under the bus in that scenario. For one, the two other QBs on the depth chart will be free agents. Besides that, there is a bit of gamesmanship involved as well. By declaring to the public that Trubisky is the guy, it should throw other teams off the scent that the Bears might be more active on the market than one thinks.
Then there was one particular answer to a question that indicated something might be up. It involved the idea of the team picking up Trubisky's 5th-year option. A move that would lock the QB up for 2021 at over $20 million. For those who don't remember, Pace was asked a similar question about Leonard Floyd the year prior and confirmed right away that was the plan. This time? Not so much.
“We’re not at that point right now with the season ending just two days ago, so we’re not at that point right now. And when we will we’ll let you guys know.”
Pace wasn't done. He also heavily hinted that changes to the QB room were coming.
“The quarterback room is critical. It’s important for us. We’re always going to try to make it better. But as far as who it is, what we’re going to do, we’re not there yet.”
Ryan Pace has played this card before
There is no doubt that Trubisky still has a lot of believers in the Bears organization, but here's the thing. Minds change fast when jobs are on the line. Pace preached patience during his press conference, which is fine. However, he's not an idiot. This upcoming 2020 season is likely do-or-die for him. Failing to make the playoffs again would mark a fifth time in six years. Most GMs would've been fired long before that. Is he truly prepared to put his career in the hands of Trubisky who has an 85.8 passer rating through 41 starts?
Common sense says that would be borderline madness. Let's not also forget Pace is no stranger to playing the fake-out move at QB. Back in 2017, he signed Mike Glennon to a considerable contract in free agency, making it seem like he was the clear cut guy moving forward. Then a month later he traded up to get Trubisky. What the GM says and does are two different things. Few love the art of misdirection like Pace. So it's important to remember that what he says and what he does are often quite different.
Trubisky may look safe for now, but that could change fast.
