Bears Fans Shouldn't Trust Ryan Pace to Get Russell Wilson Trade Right

The Bears have reportedly made acquiring Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seahawks their top priority this offseason, that according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. It makes sense too. The Bears haven't had an All-Pro quarterback since Johnny Lujack in 1951...and Lujack was also a defensive back that year.

But while the desire for an upgrade under center is totally understandable, how could Bears fans trust Bears GM Ryan Pace to make a smart trade for Wilson? Pace has already failed multiple times attempting to upgrade the same position and now, even worse, he's trying to swing a deal with his job on the line.

As they say, if you don't learn from history, you're doomed to repeat it. I fear Bears fans might have to learn that lesson a third time if Pace somehow orchestrates a deal for Wilson.

In 2017, Pace traded the No. 3, 67th and 111th picks in that draft plus a third-round pick in 2018 to move up to the second pick and select...Mitch Trubisky. Trubisky turned out to be so unreliable, Pace swung another trade for a quarterback before the 2020 season, acquiring Nick Foles from the Jaguars for a fourth-round pick when Foles likely was going to be released by the Jaguars anyway.

Foles was so bad last year, he lost his starting job to Trubisky after getting hurt. Trubisky wasn't much better and is now a free agent, leaving the Bears in a position where they're now trying to replace two quarterbacks who cost them four draft picks to acquire with another quarterback who will cost far more than that.

Pace and Bears coach Matt Nagy are both on the hot seat this season and likely need to lead the Bears to at least a playoff berth to save their jobs. An upgrade at the quarterback position is certainly critical to reaching that goal. But do you trust a man whose job is on the line to make a smart decision for the franchise now and in the future? I don't.

While Wilson is as much of a proven commodity as any quarterback in the NFL, the idea that Pace can somehow orchestrate a deal that doesn't jeopardize the Bears' future for the present is wishful thinking at best. He knows the Bears need to make the playoffs in 2021 to keep his job, which could make him more willing to swing a deal that helps them now but puts them in a bad position in three years from now when Wilson's talents fade with age. That's not the person you want making those decisions.

Wilson is a great quarterback and the Bears need someone like him to take the next step as a franchise. But should they mortgage their future for the present? The answer to that may be yes or no, but the person making that call has proven incapable of making smart moves in this department previously. That's not the person I want making that call now, especially when their job is on the line.