Matt Nagy said he has not consulted Chicago Bears ownership over his job status yet. He’s too focused on preparing for the New Orleans Saints. That is no surprise. The same goes for quarterback Mitch Trubisky. GM Ryan Pace? He remains in charge until further notice. The reality is George McCaskey was never going to make any decisions until after the season ended. That has been the standard operating procedure for years. So what will happen when the time comes? Mike Florio has a pretty good idea.
The NBC Sports insider has kept up with the Bears situation all season. He’s well aware of how close Nagy and Pace came to getting fired just over a month ago after losing six-straight games. That said, the late rally down the stretch to salvage their playoff hopes appears to have been enough to save their jobs for one more year. As for Mitch Trubisky? His fate appears directly tied to the upcoming matchup in New Orleans.
It would seem the Packers game snapped people back to reality.
Trubisky was once again inadequate in the face of Aaron Rodgers, throwing for 252 yards and an interception. He also had two other interceptions dropped. People wanted to believe his recent run of success in the four games prior to Sunday was a sign he’d figured things out. Green Bay once again served a reminder that good defenses can pretty much contain him without much trouble.
This is why the idea of Trubisky returning isn’t as set in stone as people think. Remember the Saints have the #5 pass defense in the NFL. They’ve racked up 45 sacks this year. That does not bode well for Trubisky’s odds. Besides that, don’t forget what Bears insider Brad Biggs said back in November. He said people around the league believe Pace 100% intends to draft a new quarterback this offseason with the intent of buying himself more time.
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Mike Florio is basically backing up that original idea
Nagy and Pace return in 2021 and they seek to draft a quarterback together. Somebody they both agree on rather than somebody the head coach had to inherit. The hope being they can finally get it right. Of course, this comes with significant risk. Pace only has one year left on his current contract and his batting average with quarterbacks is less than stellar. Trubisky? Mike Glennon? Nick Foles? Not a group that inspires confidence.
Also, don’t forget the Bears aren’t in a premium position regarding the draft. The best pick they can hope for at present is 19th or 20th overall. That range hasn’t exactly been a hot spot for franchise QBs in recent years.
Lamar Jackson was a hit but everybody else on that list classifies as average or worse at this point. So the Bears would have two choices. Either they trade up to see if they can snag one of the higher-ranked guys or they take their chances on somebody slipping through the cracks who are worth anything.
Neither option can be called ideal at this point.
Yet this is the reality Pace has created for the team because of his misfire on Trubisky. They have no choice but to try again. Mike Florio seems convinced ownership will give him that second chance. Will Nagy’s presence change their fortunes this time? That is hard to say. One thing is for sure. Some people won’t be happy about it.