When Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace failed to match the New Orleans Saints’ contract offer to WR Cameron Meredith, he was pelted with criticism and questions about his competency in free agency.

Pace maintained all along that Meredith’s knee injury and poor fit in the offense were the deciding factors, but critics ignored the logic and instead focused on Meredith’s potential impact with the Saints.

That impact will have to wait until Week 2, apparently, as Meredith was among the team’s inactives against the Buccaneers.

Full Saints inactives: Andrus Peat, Cameron Meredith, Taylor Stallworth, Mitchell Loewen, P.J. Williams, Will Clapp, Dan Arnold. — Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) September 9, 2018

One week is hardly enough to vindicate Pace, but it’s certainly worth noting. Whether it’s because of injury or simply not fitting New Orleans’ game plan, Meredith’s contract makes his inactive status a big surprise.

Well, maybe not to Pace.