What did Matt Nagy say to Peter King about Justin Fields?
In a recent interview on Sports Talk Chicago with Jon Zaghloul, Peter King discussed a conversation that he remembers having with Matt Nagy prior to the 2021 NFL regular season. According to Peter King, Matt Nagy had this to say about Justin Fields:
"“I’m not playing this kid until he’s ready. I don’t care what is going on with this team. I am not out to give this guy a two-year career. I want him to get a 15-year career.”"
Peter King seems to agree with how Matt Nagy handled Justin Fields
Peter King went on to say how he’s not a fan of all the pressure that coaches and players see nowadays from the media and fans. It causes so much incredible pressure to play a first-round quarterback. King goes on to say,
"“Who cares if Justin Fields plays this year? You aren’t winning the Super Bowl. You are almost certainly not going to the playoffs. I think Matt Nagy had the right idea. Injuries and an enormous earthquake of public sedament kinda forced his hand. I think it was a mistake, but I don’t make those decisions.”"
Peter King went on to give Matt Nagy a little credit for Patrick Mahomes and even made sure to add how he knows that people are sick of hearing it. He thinks that Matt Nagy was trying to emulate the same thing he saw Andy Reid and his colleagues do with Mahomes during his rookie season.
Isn’t that part of the problem with Matt Nagy though? He was trying so hard to be Andy Reid instead of doing things his own way or even adapting as things unfolded. It became part of his downfall in my opinion and I completely disagree with Peter King on his assessment that Matt Nagy made the right decision. As training camp and the preseason unfolded, you adapt to your plan of not wanting to play Justin Fields because he was clearly the better talent.
No offense to Peter King, but he’s living in the past with his old-school mentality regarding quarterbacks and forcing rookies to sit. There isn’t a “one size fits all approach” to this thing and experience is extremely important as well.
Make sure to listen to the rest of the podcast as Peter King talks more about Justin Fields’ growth and future, the Super Bowl and even how he got his start as a sports writer.