Bears general manager Ryan Pace appeared on the WBBM 780 AM and 105.9 FM pre-game show in advance of Monday night's home game against the Vikings. Here's a transcript of that interview:
On discussions with coach John Fox to name Mitchell Trubisky the starting quarterback:
"John and I are having discussions internally all the time. I think our communication is really good, so any important decision we're going to make, especially involving the quarterbacks, it's something that's ongoing all the time. We've seen Mitch's progression behind the scenes. We've had a lot of discussions about that and we were ultimately able to come to a decision."
On whether the move says more about Trubisky's development or Mike Glennon's performance:
"I think it's definitely Mitch's development. He's come a long way since he's arrived here. Really that's a credit to his work ethic, but it's also a credit to our coaches. I think [offensive coordinator] Dowell [Loggains] and coach [Dave] Ragone have done a great job with him and we're seeing it pay off now."
On whether a step away will help Glennon:
"He's got to stay ready, and Mike is such a pro. He's going to continue to prepare and he'll be ready if we need to call upon him."
On how Trubisky has changed since he played in the preseason:
"He just looks so much more comfortable and confident in the offense, and that naturally occurs with time on the job and I think not only knowing what he's supposed to do but everyone else's job within the offense."
On his biggest takeaway about how quarterbacks are developed:
"I think you look at it throughout history and even more recently, look at guys like Carson Wentz and around the league and I think the biggest takeaway for a rookie quarterback to succeed is really you need a strong defense and you need a good running game and I feel fortunate that we're in a position to provide that and that will be good going forward."
On what the Bears have been missing the first four weeks of the season:
"There are a lot of things we need to improve on. We're 1-3 so definitely there are a lot of things. But the thing that comes to mind for me right away—and coach Fox has talked about it a lot this week—is protecting the football. We need to protect the football to give ourselves a chance. I think you look right now and teams are 37-6 this season when they win the turnover battle. So it's a critical stat. It's something we haven't done a very good job of and we need to improve on that to get better."
On the Bears being minus-31 in turnover differential the last three years:
"It's disappointing and I'm looking forward to us getting better in that area."
On what he's learned about the Bears defense:
"We're ninth in total defense. We're 15th in the NFL versus the run. It starts with winning the line of scrimmage and I'm pleased with how our defense is playing up front. We just need more consistency throughout. Getting some turnovers would be big for our defense."
On what he likes about the team right now:
"It's a good locker room. The guys are focused, the guys are sticking together. There's a really good attitude on the team right now. There's no finger pointing. Everyone's just focused and locked together, and that's important right now. We're a quarter of the way through the season. We knew those first four games would be a tough stretch. We've got 12 more games ahead of us to play well and you can feel this team coming together."
On Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs:
"He's a Pro Bowl level player. He's an outstanding athlete. He has excellent speed and very good hands to make difficult catches. He's a big time threat for their offense. He's difficult to defend. He's going to make his plays. He leads the league in receiving yards. He's third in touchdown receptions. He's a really good player. We'll have our hands full."
