Chicago Bears: Deciphering Matt Nagy’s interview about the quarterbacks

Matt Nagy is giving us just enough information about the Chicago Bears QBs

Let’s get back to the Matt Nagy comments, shall we? In that same interview with Cris Collinsworth, Nagy continues to discuss the situation surrounding Andy Dalton and Justin Fields. After stating how Dalton is the starter, but then backtracking those comments slightly by stating he cannot predict the future, Matt Nagy continued his comment with the following statement:

"“You always hope that nothing happens to Andy, in terms of injuries or anything like that, and that’s why I can’t say 100%, because we don’t know what’s going to happen. Hopefully, everything is good there. But Andy is where we want him to be, he’s had a great OTAs and we’re just going to continue to build that and stick to where we’re at and just let Justin do his thing in training camp and preseason. We’ll literally, as we go, just continue to just do everything we can to make sure Justin is the best quarterback he can be.”"

Alright, let’s stop there for a minute. Remember, this is a continuation of his comments earlier when he said he cannot predict anything and plenty can happen between now and Week 1. Based on these comments, I would still say that Andy Dalton is going to be the Week 1 starter unless something happens and Dalton is somehow injured. Now, no one should ever wish an injury occur to a player and this to me screams that Dalton is Nagy’s guy right now.

However, I find it interesting when he said the team will just let Justin do his thing in training camp and the preseason. This to me is hidden coach speak saying — listen, should Justin Fields ball out, of course, he has an opportunity to start Week 1 or at least fairly early in the season. That said, I don’t think Nagy can come out and say that outright while also trying to cater to what has been told to Andy Dalton. This is why Dalton is going to get the Mike Glennon treatment.

Matt Nagy continued on by saying:

"“In a perfect world, we’re continuing to win games with Andy, and Justin is developing and getting better and better. Then it just goes to, we’ll know when the time is right and when it’s ready for the team and for us to put him in. It will all just naturally happen. I truly feel confident about that. I don’t think we have to force somebody in there, just naturally it will be organic, and it’s going to be best for the Bears. That’s in the end what this is all about.”"

Listen, I am not sure what has been said to Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace about their futures, but it appears that they feel very comfortable that they will be around in 2022. Neither has a contract beyond this season though and I would imagine there has to be at least a little pressure and heat coming from George McCaskey and Ted Phillips — even if both are incompetent when it comes to football operations.

Either way, I am taking Nagy’s comments as another window he is opening for Justin Fields to take over should Andy Dalton struggle. If their perfect world is crumbling and Dalton is struggling (or even just the team), then Matt Nagy will eventually make the switch. This is why I still stand by my prediction that Andy Dalton starts the first four games of the year before giving way to Fields.