Over a month after his dismissal as Bears general manager, Ryan Pace is back in an NFL front office. The Falcons announced Thursday they have hired the 45-year-old executive to join GM Terry Fontenot's personnel staff. Pace, who spent the last seven seasons running Chicago's front office, will work alongside two other former GMs in Phil Emery and Ruston Webster.
Fired along with coach Matt Nagy following the Bears' 6-11 finish in 2021, Pace previously worked with Fontenot in New Orleans, where their jobs with the Saints overlapped for 12 different seasons. Pace spent a total of 15 years with the Saints, starting as an operations assistant in 2001 and rising to director of player personnel from 2013-14. As Bears GM from 2015-21, he oversaw two playoff appearances, including a 12-4 finish atop the NFC North in 2018.
His official title with the Falcons will be senior personnel executive alongside Emery and Webster, who have held scouting jobs with the team since 2016. Emery served as the Bears' GM from 2012-14 before Pace succeeded him in Chicago, while Webster spent four years as the Titans' GM from 2012-15 after two years as Tennessee's vice president of player personnel.
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