When Patch.com dropped their recent report that expectations are Matt Nagy will be fired after the Thanksgiving game in Detroit, it predictably caused an uproar. Its author, former Pulitzer Prize-winner Mark Konkol, remained steadfast when questioned about it by various radio programs. He trusts his source and believes it to be strong. This despite others including Nagy himself flatly denying the report being true.
So it probably wasn’t a good look from the view of his players when the head coach canceled meetings scheduled for the rest of the day. This was revealed by Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and came in the wake of Nagy’s press conference where he flatly denied the rumors.
“The embattled coach said a Patch.com report that the Bears have told him he will be fired after Thursday’s game against the Detroit Lions “is not accurate,” but according to multiple sources, he offered little to make players believe he will be around much longer, leaving at least some players dismayed at the organization’s lack of direction.
That was before Nagy canceled all meetings scheduled for the rest of Tuesday afternoon and evening, the sources said, a highly unusual move that prompted one source to wonder if Nagy is resigned to his fate.”
This only adds more validity to the original report.
It got worse too. Biggs goes on to reveal that Nagy in fact did meet with ownership despite denying as much during his presser. Apparently, it took place afterward. That was when he made the schedule change. His speech to the players didn’t have the desired impact either. While he preached about them being what was important and the need to stick together, some felt frustrated and angry that the head coach didn’t do anything to challenge the report. Thus leaving them with no sense of direction.
While Nagy told media during his midday news conference he was not scheduled to meet with his bosses this week — not surprising considering the quick turnaround for the Thanksgiving Day game — he told players after the walk-through that he did have a “productive” meeting with ownership, sources said…
…Sometime between saying that and heading to the Walter Payton Center for the second walk-through, Nagy did meet with ownership, according to sources. Those sources said Nagy told players that it was about them moving forward and that no one knows what tomorrow will bring, and they said he broke down the team on “family.”
He did not shed any light on his status, the sources said, which left some players angry that he didn’t address the report head on, less than 48 hours before the team will try to end a five-game losing streak against the winless Lions (0-9-1) in a nationally televised game.
All of this insanity coming after reports of players wanting him gone.
If it was still up in the air about whether Matt Nagy is finished as head coach of the Bears? This puts it to bed. There is no question he is getting fired. It was a matter of whether they would do it before the season ended or not. Something they’ve never done in their long history as a franchise. Based on this latest revelation, there is a definite possibility that his time with the team will conclude before this week is over.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Matt Nagy dug his own grave
People are criticizing the Bears for mishandling this entire situation. Why hasn’t anybody from ownership or even GM Ryan Pace stepped forward to address this entire fiasco? This is fair. It brings back the reality that the people running this organization aren’t truly capable of handling it. George McCaskey and Ted Phillips were never football guys. They’ve never grasped what it takes to handle these sorts of situations.
That being said. Nagy only has himself to blame. He’s had over three years to get this team on the right track. Instead, it has steadily gone in the opposite direction. His offenses have been a consistent punchline since the start of 2019. His players are undisciplined and too often look directionless. The guy doesn’t have any answers for their problems. When that happens? People lose their jobs. Nobody can say the Bears didn’t give him everybody opportunity to save himself.
