Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago is one of the most respected Bears beat writers out there. He isn’t one to throw out bold statements too often. Not unless he feels he has a good reason to. That is why his most recent column was eye-opening. One where he stated that a strong possibility exists that Matt Nagy could be fired following Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers if the loss is ugly enough.
Unsurprisingly several fans didn’t want to hear this. Not after that Patch.com report got their hopes up back in November. If the Bears weren’t going to fire Nagy then, why should they believe it will happen this time? Yet Hoge hasn’t backed off the subject. He appeared on the Under Center podcast with Alex Shapiro and once again stated his belief that this could happen. The warning signs are there. Not to mention the lingering factor of that NFL rule change that allows teams to interview head coach candidates two weeks earlier.
While it may still be hard to believe for some, there is validity to this.
A loss to the Packers would eliminate the Bears from the playoff picture once and for all. It would ensure a losing record for this season. If it ends up as bad as many predict? It would mark the seventh loss by 10 points or more this year. Two of them to the Packers. Not exactly the progress George McCaskey envisioned when he decided to keep Nagy around for another year back in January. What would be the point of employing him any further?
His record would be 1-7 against the Packers. Arguably the worst of any coach in Bears history. The offense still can’t throw the ball or score points. It has become a chore to watch this team every Sunday because people know what to expect. It might be a superficial move, but it would at least send the right message.
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Matt Nagy decision may come down to Ryan Pace
People continue to ignore how important of a factor the GM plays in this. Namely, whether the McCaskeys plan to move on from him too. If they do? Then there is little point in firing the head coach now. The Bears organization has always operated with the same plan. Ownership hires the GM and the GM hires the head coach. Simple. If Pace is out too, then McCaskey will focus on finding his replacement first.
However, if Pace is going to stick around? Then firing Matt Nagy after this weekend makes more sense. That is because he would be part of the interview process, allowing the team to get a head start on evaluations. Both with the current coaching staff and eventual replacements. Either way, it would still be a surprise if this happened. If McCaskey wasn’t willing to do it to Marc Trestman, then why is Nagy different?
That is where the rule change becomes a major wild card.
A two-week window would allow the Bears to interview candidates on playoff-bound teams. An opportunity that becomes far more difficult due to scheduling next month. It offers a chance to get a firm look at the top options on the market without having to jump through hoops. Then by the time the playoffs start, they should have a good idea of who they do or don’t like.
