One of the hotter topics of the 2021 offseason for the Chicago Bears has been Anthony Miller. They had high hopes for the wide receiver when they traded up for him in 2018. His seven touchdowns as a rookie certainly offered some early validation of his talent. Yet over the past two years, Miller has steadily regressed. Much to the frustration of head coach Matt Nagy and the rest of the coaching staff.
He went from 656 yards in 2019 to just 485 last year. He had four touchdowns combined in those two seasons. Making matters worse was the disturbing patterns he began to develop. Dropped passes. Bad after-the-catch decisions. Getting into scuffles with opposing defenders. It reached a low point when even George McCaskey was expressing his disappointment in Miller. To many, that was a surefire sign he was gone.
Then the trade rumors hit.
For the past couple of months, it’s been common knowledge Miller is available with a number of teams having at least some interest in him. Yet whatever they’re willing to offer hasn’t been good enough for the Bears. This is somewhat unusual since they just got done overhauling the wide receiver position with new faces. Even wide receivers coach Mike Furrey made it seem like they’re under no obligation to keep him.
Nagy though has walked some of those comments back. He stated on 670 The Score that Miller and the coaches have had good discussions about his situation. They’ve asked him to renew his commitment to fixing the issues that have hampered him for the past two years. By the sound of things, the receiver embraced the new challenge.
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Bears HC Matt Nagy on Anthony Miller: "We've had some really good discussions with Anthony recently that have been extremely healthy. Anthony has done everything we've asked him to do. He's one of the most competitive players I've ever been around. He understands that there's
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) May 17, 2021
some parts in his game that he needs to get a little better at…."
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) May 17, 2021
Matt Nagy understands Miller still has something to offer
Talent has never been the issue with him. He has everything required to be a really good player in the NFL. It’s more a matter of grasping the mental side of the game. Even after three years Miller still has occasional problems running the wrong routes or just running them poorly. The lack of discipline and attention to detail remains a constant source of frustration with him. He still has too many of those backyard tendencies from Memphis.
While a trade is still possible, Matt Nagy seems content with letting him battle it out in training camp. What will happen when the pressure of losing his job becomes a factor? Likely one of two things. Either Miller answers the bell and performs at the highest level of his career, or somebody outperforms him and proves he isn’t what the team hoped. Either way, the Bears will have an answer by the end of August.
Here’s hoping it’s a positive one.
The best situation long-term for this team is if the light finally goes on for Miller. Him becoming a good player was always the endgame for them. He is so close. All he needs is one more key step to cross that gap. Unfortunately, it’s the toughest gap of any in the NFL to cross. Too many like him never learn to grasp the complexities of his position, content to rely on their raw ability. That just doesn’t fly in the NFL.