Perhaps one of the most impressive accomplishments for head coach Matt Nagy in his four seasons with the Bears is how he hasn’t managed to lose the locker room. Especially given he hasn’t been able to do his job effectively while demanding the same from his players.
Even as the defense has been expected to carry the team for the last four years or through a six-game losing streak, it seemed as if Nagy never lost the respect of his players in the locker room.
At least, that’s how it’s appeared from the outside.
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson was fined for arriving late at Halas Hall on Tuesday, and Johnson took to Instagram to share a photo of his $2,745 fine. He later deleted it.
Nagy was asked about Johnson posting the fine to social media, and it doesn’t sound like he was aware of it before his Wednesday morning press conference.
“Well, that’s news to me. But at the same point in time, I’ll be able to talk to him and see what that’s all about,” Nagy said. “But Jaylon’s been doing great. Again, for what it is and where we’re at, I’ll be able to discuss it with him.”
#Bears coach Matt Nagy fined CB Jaylon Johnson for arriving late on Tuesday to Halas Hall. Nagy was unaware Johnson publicly vented about the discipline. pic.twitter.com/MYWfHnhq8a
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) October 20, 2021
Nagy surely had a conversation with Johnson after the fact, but it’s hard not to wonder if Nagy’s starting to lose the locker room. Johnson should know the rules about arriving on time, paid the fine and moved on. Instead, he posted it for the outside world to see, which has prompted questions about whether Nagy is starting to lose the locker room.
It’s never a good thing when the head coach is blindsided by the team’s best cornerback not just showing up late but sharing his late notice for all the world to see. It could be a glimpse of how some players are feeling, which could be a lack of respect for their head coach.
And this certainly isn’t the first sign this season.
Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin criticized the gameplan against the Rams, which he said played right into the hands of Los Angeles’ defense. Quarterback Nick Foles was spotted on the sideline telling Andy Dalton the “offense isn’t working” during the disaster that was the Browns game.
The Bears have never fired a head coach mid-season, and it would be difficult to expect that to change this season. But if things spiral heading into a rough stretch of schedule, and Nagy does in fact lose the locker room, it would be difficult to justify keeping him in Chicago beyond 2021.
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