Should Matt Nagy’s track record with QBs worry Chicago Bears fans?

The Chicago Bears are heading into the 2021 season with a plethora of things that need to be addressed. Sitting right at the top of that list is the quarterback position. The hot topic on everyone’s mind this offseason is who will be the Bears starting quarterback come week one of the 2021 season.

As of right now, nobody really knows anything. With the free agents dwindling away, the Bears could always settle for someone like Jameis Winston or maybe a Marcus Mariota type. They could also look to the draft, which would probably be their best option for the future.

This year’s quarterback class is looking to be a pretty deep one in terms of prospects. Unfortunately for the Bears, there is a good chance no one worth drafting in the first round will be there by the time they make their selection at 20. One route that I haven’t fully disregarded yet is that Nick Foles could be the starter going into the season.

No matter who the starter will be, head coach Matt Nagy may be feeling the pressure to succeed right away. Speculation was rampant all season on whether or not the Chicago Bears would bring back this current regime. To the detriment of some fans, that is exactly what the Bears did after their season came to an end.

With the contract situations of Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace both unclear, it’s widely thought that they need to win this season for them to continue in their roles moving forward. It may sound strange to say that the team has underperformed under Matt Nagy’s reign when they have made the playoff 2 out of the last 3 years, but I feel that they have.

What has Matt Nagy done well for the Chicago Bears?

It’s safe to say that Matt Nagy’s offense hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations that were set before the 2018 season and you can argue his offense has regressed each year. In 2018 the Bears went 12-4 and won the division on the back of one of the best defenses in recent memory.

To be fair, I do think Nagy’s offense was fresh, creative, and even pretty efficient at times, especially at the start of the year. About halfway through the year, it seemed that the NFL adjusted to Nagy and I don’t think he has adjusted back. The Chicago Bears finished the 2018 season with the 22nd ranked pass offense.

Their offense hasn’t been above mediocre since then, and at times they have looked downright awful, including much of 2020. Something I feel that Nagy does a great job of is building a culture. Many players on the Bears speak well of Nagy and it seems like his guys like going to battle for him.

However, I also feel that Matt Nagy’s biggest flaw may be his stubbornness. Whether we believe it or not he clearly thinks his scheme can work with the right people in place. This brings us back to the quarterback position. Mitch Trubisky, obviously didn’t work out in Chicago, this can be put on Trubisky’s ability to play the position but Matt Nagy should also shoulder some of the blame.

A good head coach gets the best out of his players and Nagy failed to do that, not only Mitch Trubisky but Nick Foles who was Nagy’s guy. With Mitch, Nagy refused to adjust his scheme to fit Trubisky’s skillset. Something that didn’t happen until Bill Lazor took over the playcalling.

Final thoughts:

Overall, I think Matt Nagy can be a successful NFL coach whether it is for the Bears or another team. Remember he is still young as a coach, only in his early 40s. As I said earlier 2021 must be looked at as a make or break year for Nagy. Another mediocre season may put an end to his time with Chicago.

The Bears certainly have their work cut out for them this offseason and Matt Nagy will have officially run out of excuses by the time the season starts next September. He’s put blame on his offensive line, coaching staff, and quarterback come next season it’s time for Nagy to produce real results on the offensive side of the ball.