Matt Nagy Will Call Plays for Bears Offense

The new Chicago Bears’ head coach announced at his press conference that he will indeed call plays for the offense.

Ryan Pace knew that Matt Nagy was going to be a major contender to be the next head coach of the Chicago Bears. There were several reasons that was the case: the success of the Andy Reid coaching tree, his work as a QB-centric coach, how the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears have potentially similar offensive pieces, but one of the main reasons is that Nagy is a play caller.

Many head coaches give up their play-calling duties when they are elevated to head coach from offensive coordinator, but that will not be the case in Chicago.

Nagy announced at his introductory press conference at Halas Hall that he will indeed be the Bears’ play caller. While that may not seem like the biggest deal in the world, it is actually quite important on multiple levels.

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First, it shows Pace going back to his New Orleans Saints’ roots. Sean Payton is the play-caller there and has been for a very long time. Pace grew up professionally in an environment where the head coach was a successful play-caller and it created consistently one of the best offenses in the NFL. The other reason is the most important reason: offensive stability.

Any Bears’ fan has seen he offensive coordinator carousel come through Chicago. The Bears have had no stability on that side of the ball and Pace wants that to change. He wants his future star, Mitch Trubisky, to build up a rapport with his coaches that will help him grow to an elite talent. Having a revolving door of offensives coaches will only stunt Trubisky.

If the Bears go for a young, elite offensive coach at coordinator who calls plays, like an Adam Gase, he will have one foot out the door waiting for a head coaching gig. If the Bears bring in a non offensive coach to head up the ship and bring in a less successful play-caller as OC, like Dowell Loggains, the offense may not reach an elite level.

However, bring in an offensive coach to run the team and call plays, that’s how you create stability. With Nagy calling plays, if he creates a top-notch offense, whoever his OC is will only get some of the credit. That means the Bears would have to string together years of success on offense before that OC starts being considered as a head coaching candidate. With Nagy calling plays, even if the Bears offense grows into a good one in 2018, Ryan Pace is looking at probably a minimum of three years of Nagy, Trubisky, and the new OC together, even if he left at that point, with Nagy so heavily involved in the offense, the stability will remain for Trubisky.

Ryan Pace got his man, and got the exact type of coach he wants to run his team. He’s hitched his job to the wagons of Trubisky and Nagy, now, all they have to do is lead the Bears back to the promised land. No pressure or anything.