No coach in the NFL is sitting on a hotter seat than Matt Nagy, whose Chicago Bears fell to 1-2 after a humiliating loss to the Cleveland Browns last Sunday that saw his offense generate one lonely net yard passing.
Rookie quarterback Justin Fields was the starter in that game, his first time in that role this season, and it didn’t go well. You probably know the story by now: he completed just 6-of-20 passes for 68 yards and was sacked nine times. It was a really bad day at the office. And while Fields deserves some of the blame for the offense’s poor showing, the onus remains on Nagy to fix whatever’s wrong with his overhyped system.
One major step Nagy can take toward a long-term system fix is to commit to Fields as his starter for the rest of the season. He’s the inevitable future of the franchise, and with not much of a chance to be contenders in the present, the Bears should make that commitment now.
On Wednesday, Nagy went the other way. He didn’t commit to Fields. Or Andy Dalton. Or any quarterback, for that matter. Both Fields and Dalton are expected to practice this week despite dealing with injuries (Fields has a banged-up throwing hand while Dalton continues his recovery from a bone bruise to his knee). Health will determine who starts in Week 4; Not talent, not upside, not future interests.
In fact, Nagy confirmed Dalton remains atop the depth chart if all three quarterbacks are in optimal physical condition. Now one month into the season, the Bears still aren’t Fields’ team. Nagy won’t let the first-rounder get a much-needed vote of confidence after his brutal first taste of life as an NFL starter.
Look, Nagy seems like a nice guy. And it’s obvious he’s dealing with the emotional roller coaster that comes after such a horrendous loss. He mentioned having family and friends as a strong support system, and that’s great. We all need that, right? But he also sounded like a guy walking the plank and making a plea for another chance.
He’s getting one this week, at home, against a Detroit Lions team that he’s dominated throughout his three-plus seasons in Chicago. However, his failure to commit to Fields in this do-over game is ludicrous. It’s the fastest way for him to lose the support of the fan base, and potentially, the loyalty from the people that matter in Halas Hall.
Nagy showed passion and a sincere desire to correct the issues embedded in his offense. But passion and desire can only take him so far. It’s time for results, and if he thinks the best way to achieve them is by continuing this quarterback dance in the glow of the fire burning around him, then he may want to get his resume updated.
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