From NFL Coach of the Year to being fired: Where did it all go wrong for Bears HC Matt Nagy?
Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy is out of a job. As of Monday, he was fired by the Bears.
Nagy was NFL Coach of the Year back in 2018, and now he is in the unemployment line along with Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and others, but most saw this coming.
Before becoming head coach of the Chicago Bears, he was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs under current head coach Andy Reid.
Nagy's performance as Chiefs coordinator attracted the likes of teams like the Chicago Bears who were looking to upgrade their offense. But what went wrong?
Some say the trouble started for Nagy after they drafted quarterback Justin Fields out of Ohio State.
Fields was one of the top-ranked quarterbacks coming out of college and many thought when the Bears decided to draft him, they were going to be playoff contenders.
Instead, Matt Nagy decided to go with former Dallas Cowboys backup Andy Dalton to start the season.
Dalton took over for an injured Dak Prescott when he broke his ankle last year, which ended his season.
Dalton's play for the Cowboys wasn't impressive and the team missed the playoffs. Many wondered why Nagy would go with him instead of giving Fields a shot.
Matt Nagy was afraid of making the same mistake twice
Several rookie quarterbacks around the league, including Mac Jones, Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson, all started at the beginning of the year for their respective teams this season.
Even San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Trey Lance made a few appearances for his club, so why wasn't Fields allowed to play all season?
I think this whole Andy Dalton-Justin Fields thing is Matt Nagy trying to hold onto his last remaining piece of power in the #Bears offense. He's not calling plays anymore, so his biggest impact is who he names the starting QB. Egos often get in the way of good decisions.
Some NFL experts, like former 49ers quarterback Steve Young, think they may know why.
Young said that back in August, Dalton was named the starter out of fear. Nagy had already failed with former first-round quarterback Mitch Trubisky and it might have been easier just to name Dalton the starter and take his chances.
Me getting walked outta Sofi after I gave Matt Nagy a two piece for not starting Justin Fields https://t.co/4DUlaXldpp
Mitch Trubisky was the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He was seen as the savior for a Bears franchise that has yet to see a 4,000 yard passer at quarterback.
Nagy and his staff were tasked with getting Trubisky to get better with his accuracy, reads, and progressions. Unfortunately, they appeared to get worse as time went on.
The Bears released Trubisky in the off-season and drafted Justin Fields in the first-round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
But Bears fans weren't hearing any of it, especially after seeing the success that Bill Belichick had with rookie Mac Jones as a starter. They are going to the playoffs, the Bears are not.
Fields started 5 games this year, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards (1,870) and seven touchdowns. He struggled at times like most rookies do, but he also showed a lot of promise, too.
Matt Nagy's downfall as the Bears head coach had more to do with his stubbornness and inability to develop his quarterbacks.
Had he started Justin Fields, the Bears may not have made the playoffs, but Nagy may have been able to show he learned from past mistakes with Mitch Trubisky.