Can Ryan Poles get it right where Ryan Pace didn’t?
When I say that Ryan Poles will hire his “Matt Nagy” this off-season, I make this comparison only in the sense of replacing an uninspiring defensive caretaker with an offensive-minded head coach who should be better placed to develop a young QB.
In retrospect, Matt Nagy was a horrible appointment, and this should have been identified early on. His play-calling ability and stature as a head coach were often excused because the QB wasn’t good enough, or missed because the All-Star defensive unit covered for the offense more often than not.
The clock is ticking on Justin Fields’ rookie deal, and if we are all honest, nobody is 100% sure if he is “the guy”. One of the best methods of determining if he is the guy is to place the correct coaching personnel around him and make sure that he is nurtured and instructed by better-qualified coaches.
The Bears now have a 42% chance of getting the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the highest in the NFL according to ESPN Analytics 👀
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 10, 2023
(h/t @AdamSchefter) pic.twitter.com/8Q9JyCmlzG
With the Bears likely to be picking early in the 2024 NFL Draft, and maybe even first overall if the Carolina Panthers continue to struggle, it is unknown if Justin Fields will be Poles’s “guy” moving forward.
One thing is for sure though, regardless if next year’s QB is Justin Fields or Caleb Williams. Ryan Poles must ensure that the Head Coach who is in place to develop that QB is the right one, and in my opinion, it won’t be Matt Eberflus.