Former Bears GM Ryan Pace Hired As Falcons' Senior Personnel Executive

The Atlanta Falcons have hired Ryan Pace to the front office as a senior personnel executive, the team announced Thursday.

Pace had been the Chicago Bears general manager for seven years, starting in 2015 before he was fired after the 2021 season along with head coach Matt Nagy.

The executive previously spent 15 years with the New Orleans Saints, during which he worked alongside current Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot. Fontenot is going into his second season with Atlanta.

The Falcons finished 7-10 last season, although the roster still needs work after finishing 26th in the NFL in points scored and 29th in points allowed. Despite finishing just two games away from the playoffs, only four teams had a worse point differential (minus-146).

Pace oversaw multiple rebuild attempts in Chicago and was hailed as one of the top executives in the league in 2018 when the team finished 12-4. It was an increase in seven wins from the previous season, leading to the Bears' first playoff appearance in eight years.

A bold trade for linebacker Khalil Mack helped create the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL that season.

That turned out to be the only winning season during Pace's tenure, however, and he was fired after a 6-11 campaign in 2021.

Pace notably selected Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 2 pick of the 2017 draft ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, while 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields also struggled in his first year.

The Falcons will look for more success as they seek their first playoff appearance since 2017.