Matt Nagy is a good guy. He’s shown lots of leadership during his time as Chicago Bears head coach. Nobody is saying the man hasn’t done everything possible to make this team a success. However, it’s fair to wonder if the current situation this team is in has irrevocably tarnished his reputation in the locker room.
Now it must be made clear Nagy still has his supporters. Cordarrelle Patterson voiced his support for the coach on Twitter a couple of weeks ago. Others share that same belief. However, a source informed me that this isn’t the case for everybody. Apparently “a lot” of players in the locker room have grown weary of his message and the lack of results. Obviously seeing his offense rank 31st in the league after finishing 29th the year before isn’t garnering much credibility.
Does this mean a mutiny is on the horizon?
No. This isn’t 2014 with the Marc Trestman debacle. The Bears locker room is filled with too much leadership to let something like that happen. Besides, Nagy is still respected as a person. So don’t expect a complete implosion followed by controversies like six years ago. This is more of a situation where guys have simply begun to tune the man out. They no longer believe he can back up his promises.
This is something all head coaches on the hot seat have experienced. The question left to answer is simple. Can Nagy regain their belief over the final six games or has he already lost them for good? So much of that may hinge on what happens this Sunday. Everybody knows how much weight wins or losses carry when the Green Bay Packers are involved.
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Matt Nagy may save or sink himself at Lambeau Field
As of now, there is an undercurrent of belief that paints a clear picture. George McCaskey is angry with where the team is at. They started 5-1 and are now 5-5. Everything is trending in the wrong direction. He stated at the beginning of this year that he wanted to know who this Bears team is. Are they closer to the 2018 version that won the division or the 2019 version that went 8-8? Thus far it’s been much closer to the latter.
Nagy and GM Ryan Pace are on the hot seat for sure but the decision to move on hasn’t been made yet. McCaskey is willing to let the rest of the year play out. That said, it’s felt this game in Green Bay may go a considerable distance in determining the fate of the head coach. Remember he’s 1-3 against the Packers since arriving in Chicago. His offense has managed just 16 points combined in the last two meetings.
If it’s more of the same on Sunday night?
That might end up sealing his fate. Even with a manageable schedule down the stretch, the Bears haven’t played anywhere close to good football since early October. Now they’re facing a Packers team that has blown out both opponents they faced after coming off a loss. If that weren’t enough, the team is likely going back to Mitch Trubisky at quarterback with Nick Foles injured. Trubisky has also only beaten Green Bay once in his career.
It’s not hard to understand why some players believe Matt Nagy can’t right the ship this time.