Former Bears coach Matt Nagy isn’t remembered fondly in Chicago. But he did play a part in drafting quarterback Justin Fields, which has to have fans feeling at least a little appreciative.
Nagy, now the Chiefs quarterbacks coach, finds himself coaching in the Super Bowl one year removed from what was an ugly final season with the Bears.
Excitement was at an all-time high with the drafting of Fields, but Nagy’s handling of the rookie quarterback rubbed fans and analysts the wrong way.
Whether it was Fields not getting a chance to compete for the starting job with veteran Andy Dalton, questionable game plans or failing to adapt his offense to fit Fields strengths, it became a matter of when — not if — Nagy would be fired. Nagy made it to the end of the 2021 season before he was canned, along with general manager Ryan Pace.
Nagy was asked about whether he had any regrets with how he handled Fields last year.
“Everyone said, ‘You’re trying to do the Alex Smith-Patrick Mahomes deal.’ They’re all different,” Nagy told CHGO Sports. “We wanted to make sure we handled Justin — we knew that was our future, and we wanted to handle him and do everything we possibly could to make sure he succeeded — scheme, how we handled practices.”
Nagy admitted it “didn’t go the way we wanted” but he used it as a learning experience.
We'll have the full interview out soon, but here's a clip of Matt Nagy talking about Justin Fields and whether he has any regrets on how he handled him. pic.twitter.com/pK7li1Ghu5
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) February 7, 2023
But with Nagy coaching for his job last season, did he feel a sense of pressure to develop Fields in a short span?
“These guys are so young,” Nagy said. “When they’re thrown into it, everybody thinks it can just happen overnight; they’re going to play like they did in college. That’s not real. When you’re a coach and you go through your offense, your scheme, your players, you want to do everything you possibly can to make sure they succeed.”
Fields’ career got off to an ominous start with his first start against the Browns, where he was sacked nine times (including four times by Myles Garrett). It was a disaster from start to finish, and it’s something Nagy regrets.
“It wasn’t what we wanted for Justin,” Nagy said. “…The last thing you want is to hurt somebody’s confidence, a young quarterback, like we did that game. No one wants that for anybody.”
Flash forward a year, and Fields is coming off a sophomore season where he emerged as one of the NFL’s most electrifying players, despite shortcomings on the roster.
While it was another ugly season — with Fields being sacked 55 times and leading the worst passing offense — it’s hard not to be excited about the future after what Fields showed in Year 2.
It’s safe to say Nagy won’t be receiving a warm reception in Chicago anytime soon. But, if anything, thanks for Fields.
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