Matt Nagy was on the cusp of superstardom after his stellar first year coaching the Chicago Bears in 2018. The team won the division title and came a missed field goal away from knocking off the defending Super Bowl champions in the playoffs. Everybody thought he could be the best head coach this team has had in years. Then it all fizzled out. His next two years were mediocre 8-8 campaigns, and things finally came crashing down in 2021 when they finished 6-11. It was a run characterized by an anemic offense and frustrating quarterback play.
One of the main reasons Nagy was hired was the belief he could finally elevate that position. It didn’t work. He lacked the same magic touch his mentor Andy Reid did. There were other mistakes made. Nagy himself admitted as much during his Super Bowl week meeting with the media. While he is thrilled to be back in Kansas City working with Patrick Mahomes, he regrets how his tenure in Chicago went.
His biggest was somewhat surprising but also not at all.
He has a few regrets. He wishes he would have beaten the Packers more often — “Which I didn’t do,” he said, still annoyed — and won more games in general.
Nagy considers clear communication one of his strengths, but admits there were situations where it could have been better.
“I thought I was good at it — and I wasn’t,” he said.
He knows that now.
“I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t hurt, selfishly, for the city, for the players, for the coaches, support staff, etc., in Chicago,” he said. “But you can’t dwell on that. You have to pick yourself up. You have to be better from it.”
Matt Nagy can define his Bears run by his Packers failures.
The tone was largely set from the beginning when his team blew a 23-3 lead in the second half against a hobbled Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field. His lone victory came later that season when the Bears finally beat them to lock up the division title. The pain truly started the following season. There was the 10-3 debacle at Soldier Field, the crushing loss in Green Bay with multiple laterals at the end that ended their playoff hopes, or the painful home loss in 2021 that started a five-game losing streak that proved the beginning of the end.
It is fair to wonder where Matt Nagy would be right now if some of those games against Green Bay went his way. He might still be on the Bears’ sideline. One can never underestimate the importance of beating the Packers. Not only do fans love it, but it often proves crucial to the team’s success during a season. Chicago has put up a winning record in four of the past six seasons where they beat the Packers at least once. It matters. Nagy realizes that now more than ever.
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You be you, Nagster! Just be it somewhere else.
Matt Nagy’s biggest regret was NOT staying underneath Andy Reid’s giant apron . Then signing the Chicago contract.
It is fair to wonder where Matt Nagy would be right now if some of those games against Green Bay went his way. He might still be on the Bears’ sideline. —- In other words: If he was a good coach, he might still be here. Well, yeah. But he wasn’t a good coach. And he blamed others for his poor coaching. If he’s matured since then, that’s great, but he was weak on coaching and weak on character when he was here. All this really proves is that McCaskey and Philips didn’t do Nagy any favors by keeping him… Read more »
Good riddance, it should of happened sooner.
Well-chosen words by coach Nagy. He tried his best at Chicago but just like players that need to develop he needs to develop. He realizes that and life goes on.