Ex-Bears GM Ryan Pace Climbs the Ladder in Falcons' Management Team

After his tenure with the Bears ended in 2022, Pace found a new home in Atlanta. As a senior personnel executive for the Falcons, he continued to make his mark. In his new role, he'll maintain his reporting line to Falcons GM Terry Fontenot, echoing his previous reporting structure.

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Pace's journey to Atlanta mirrors that of another former Bears GM, Phil Emery. Emery embarked on his Falcons journey as a scout in 2016, eventually progressing to the position of senior personnel executive, a role Pace himself held. Emery, however, hung up his football boots earlier this year, entering the realm of retirement.

The Falcons clearly hold a deep level of trust in Pace's decision-making and leadership abilities. A testament to this trust is the fact that several players that Pace recruited during his time in Chicago subsequently found their way to Atlanta. Players like Abdullah Anderson, Damiere Byrd, Germain Ifedi, Nick Kwiatkoski, Elijah Wilkinson, and Damien Williams all followed Pace from the Windy City to the Peach State in 2022.

Renowned for his audacious trades and significant free-agent acquisitions, Pace's strategies have been a mixed bag of triumphant victories and occasional missteps. Successful deals include the acquisitions of Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks, while less successful endeavors include trading up to secure Mitchell Trubisky and offering Tarik Cohen an arguably overgenerous contract extension. It's worth noting that it was Pace who daringly traded up to draft Justin Fields in 2021, a move that's still under scrutiny.

As Pace embarks on his latest role, his influence on the sport continues to be a topic of intrigue, debate, and anticipation in the ever-unpredictable world of football.