As the sun rose on Christmas 2017, Ryan Pace had plenty to think about. The previous afternoon, he had driven out of Soldier Field with his satisfaction appropriately tempered. Yes, Pace’s team had won that afternoon, rolling to a 20-3 victory in the snow. But that was only the Bears’ 14th win in 47 tries since Pace had become their general manager. And it came against the lowly Browns, a team that had only won four times in that same span and not at all that entire season.
If ever an NFL win needed to be framed with the proper perspective, it was then.
The Bears were stuck in last place. Again. For the fourth consecutive season. The Mike Glennon experiment had been a disaster. The receiving corps was a mess. The roster had more holes than Augusta National.
Pace still believed very strongly in his championship-building approach. And, to his benefit, his bosses did too. But it was easy to picture the 40-year-old GM sitting near his fireplace on Christmas morning with a cup of coffee, exchanging gifts with his wife and daughter and wondering just how greedy he could get with his wishes for the year ahead.
With his eyes closed, maybe Pace allowed himself to fast-forward to Christmas 2018 with the grandest of daydreams. Perhaps he began penning a letter to Santa Claus, with a wish list longer than any 6-year-old boy’s.
December 25, 2017
Dear Santa,
It’s me, Ryan. I know it’s been a few decades since I last reached out. But now seems like a decent time to check back in. I haven’t yet had the kind of success at work I was hoping for and it’s starting to weigh on me. Still as you know, I’ve been patient and graceful with everything. And I feel like I’ve done a solid enough job over these last three years handling all the stress with Jay’s inconsistency, Coach Fox’s ego and so many demoralizing losses. I know now might not be the ideal time to bombard you with my wish list. But at this point it can’t hurt, right? So here goes. Here are nine things I’d love to have.
- A contract extension. Maybe two more years tacked onto my current deal, putting me in place to be the Bears GM through the 2021 season. Sure, that’s a lot to ask for with a winning percentage below .300. But what the heck? George and Ted have been so supportive of me to this point. So maybe this is worth a shot.
- A new head coach. Preferably, I’d love one with a burning fire of ambition and an excess of contagious charisma. One with a similar team-building vision as me and a touch for developing a young quarterback. Perhaps, most significantly, please find me one with a knack for being innovative as a strategist and an understanding of how to use players’ strengths.
- The same defensive coordinator. If my current team has anything going for it, Santa, it’s the defense. And if the defense has anything going for it, it’s the players’ belief in Vic Fangio. As you know, Vic’s current contract is expiring. And it might be a tough ask to get him to stick around and work for a new coach. Especially after I reject his aspiration to become our head coach. But again, worth a shot. I think he can really take this to the next level.
- One of the league’s biggest superstars. And not just an every week game-changer but one who is low maintenance and in his prime, humble as heck and capable of elevating all the players around him. If that star just happened to fill one of our most glaring needs, great. See what you can do. (Oh, and it would be nice to have access to — just ballparking here — $141 million to lock that star up for, say, seven full seasons in Chicago.)
- A win over the Packers. Man, Santa, you know how much of a pain in the rear Aaron Rodgers has been. And I think it’s about time we get the chance to have the upper hand. I’m not even saying we have to sweep the Packers. I’m not even saying we have to beat them the next time we play. But can you please let me enjoy that thrill once in 2018? And I guess if I’m reaching for the stars, can you give that win some sort of extra meaning too? Maybe it’s the victory that gets us back into the playoffs. Maybe it’s the victory that eliminates the Packers. Maybe it’s both.
- A defense that gets the ball. Over and over and over again. In 2015, we set a franchise record for fewest interceptions in a season with eight. Then we matched that in 2016. And we’re in the process of matching it again this season. Perhaps next year we can just get on a binge. Maybe we lead the league in picks. Maybe we score on five or six of them too.
- A fun culture. An electricity at Halas Hall. A daily sense that everyone likes each other and can’t wait to get to work. I love the grind of this business. But we have to mix in some amusement too. I’m thinking dance parties and silly on-field celebrations and maybe a bunch of eye-catching gadget plays with fun names. A disco ball and strobe light might be cool, if a little cheesy.
- Pro Bowl invitations. Yes, plural. Four? Maybe five? Your call. But maybe we see major breakthroughs from some of the young players I’ve drafted. Tarik and Eddie Jackson come to mind. Perhaps Kyle Fuller’s bounce-back season leads to a career year. And maybe you finally allow Akiem to realize his Pro Bowl dreams.
- January football. It has been eight years since our fans have tasted the playoffs. Too many times recently our city has spent its Januarys stuck monitoring the minutiae of coaching searches. We should all be allowed to feel postseason hysteria again. I’m not even saying Mitch needs to be the engine that pushes us back into the playoffs. I’m even fine if he has a predictably up-and-down second season. (I can’t ask for everything, right?) But I do know that I miss being relevant in January. So float us nine or 10 wins. One on Thanksgiving. A few in prime time. Whatever. It can all lead to a wild-card berth. And if you’re really feeling generous, I’m not going to turn down a division title and a home playoff game. That could be really cool, ya know?
Anyway, thanks for listening. I’ll leave your favorite cookies out next year for old time’s sake. Safe travels, big fella. I appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,
Ryan Pace
Of course, this Christmas night Pace probably will sit down near that same fireplace in his North Shore home and reflect. He’ll pour himself a glass of wine, stare into the crackling flames and think about all those things he asked for a year ago.
Naturally, he’ll realize his wish list was too grandiose and a bit too greedy. After all, how could any rational NFL general manager think all of those things could happen over a 365-day span?
Twitter @danwiederer
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