Remember the 2014 disaster, the Bears’ ninth loss in a 5-11 season, a 31-15 walloping at Soldier Field that left Pace, then just a young New Orleans executive, stunned by the level of dysfunction he could detect on the Bears’ sideline?

Undrafted in 2018, Gray was signed by then-Saints coach Payton and ended up spending seven seasons in New Orleans, establishing himself as a three-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl special-teamer under the tutelage of now-current coordinator Darren Rizzi.