NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

  • Per the Athleticโ€™s Kevin Fishbain, Bears chairperson George McCaskey opened Wednesdayโ€™s press conference by acknowledging their decision to retain GM Ryan Pace and HC Matt Nagy would not be popular: โ€œYou deserve your Bears being winners. The decisions weโ€™re announcing today may not be the easiest or most popular, but we believe theyโ€™re the best decisions for the Bears.โ€
  • Bears president Ted Phillips acknowledged the team isnโ€™t where it needs to be but believes Pace and Nagy can get them there: โ€œWeโ€™re not happy and weโ€™re far from satisfied. Making the playoffs is a step in the right direction, but itโ€™s not enough. We need to win in the playoffs and we need to compete for and win a championship. โ€ฆ We believe Ryan and Matt are excellent leaders.โ€ (Fishbain)
  • Despite the lack of wins, Phillips defended the teamโ€™s culture: โ€œWe have exactly the right culture that all football teams strive for.โ€ (Jeff Dickerson)
  • Pace also is proud of the culture he and Nagy have built: โ€œIs 8-8 good enough? No. Is losing in the first round good enough? No. But what I appreciate is we fought, we stuck together.โ€ (Fishbain)
  • McCaskey said neither Pace nor Nagy received a contract extension. (Fishbain)
  • He added the idea that Phillips is part of the problem with the teamโ€™s performance doesnโ€™t hold water: โ€œRyan and Matt are our football guys. Iโ€™ve heard it often that Ted meddles in football affairs and that notion is just absurd. It just doesnโ€™t happen.โ€ (Fishbain
  • McCaskey addressed the clear elephant in the room regarding the Bearsโ€™ biggest weakness: โ€œItโ€™s pretty clear we need better production from the quarterback position to be successful.โ€ (Mike Garafolo)
  • Nick Foles is likely on the team given his salary and Mitchell Trubisky is a pending free agent. But Pace suggested the Bears will do something to shake things up at the position: โ€œWe definitely need more out of the [QB] position. We know that. What does that entail? Thatโ€™s what this whole offseason is aboutโ€ฆ.Everything is on the table.โ€ (Andrew Siciliano)
  • Pace didnโ€™t indicate if they would try to bring back Trubisky. (Dickerson)
  • Pace mentioned they expect RB Tarik Cohen back in time for camp after tearing his ACL this year, while OLB Khalil Mack played through a shoulder injury this season: โ€œWe appreciate the way he fought through that. โ€ฆ That was real.โ€ (Fishbain)

Lions

  • Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the Lions have not requested permission to interview Steelers GM Kevin Colbert.
  • The Lions are bringing in DB Godwin Igwebuike, DE Robert McCray, and TE Hunter Thedford for visits this week. (Aaron Wilson)

Packers

For the second year in a row, the Packers finished 13-3 and with a first-round bye. But as opposed to last season, when the 49ers demolished Green Bay in the NFC title game and left a sense of fraudulence around the team, this yearโ€™s version of the Packers looks for real. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers says that while the record may be the same, the team feels clearly better in Year 2 of HC Matt LaFleurโ€˜s offense. 

โ€œWe thought we could win it last year (but) the Niners were such a dominant team and that maybe hit our confidence,โ€ Rodgers said via ESPNโ€™s Rob Demovsky. โ€œBut I feel like we have a lot of confidence and believe in ourselves. Offensively, weโ€™re just a better, much more efficient team โ€ฆ and playing with a lot more confidence.โ€

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