The debate regarding the Chicago Bears quarterback position was always inevitable. When they traded up for Justin Fields and head coach Matt Nagy declared Andy Dalton the Week 1 starter anyway? He had to know the media firestorm that was bound to follow. Especially if Fields looked good and Dalton didn’t in the preseason. A result that has since come to pass. People just can’t understand why Nagy is being so stubborn about this. Well, perhaps Steve Young can shed some light on things.
The Hall of Fame quarterback knows a thing or two has a unique perspective in this. Not only has he been in a quarterback controversy before with the 49ers, but he also is one of the few in history who understands the pros and cons of both playing immediately (as he did in the USFL) and waiting his turn (as he did in San Francisco). To him, Nagy’s mindset has less to do with whether Fields is actually ready and more to do with something else.
Fear.
The Bears head coach already has a ton of people blaming him for what happened with Mitch Trubisky the past three years. He was supposed to be this offensive guru who can develop a young quarterback. Instead, Trubisky was a flop. Something that wasn’t helped when the former Bears QB hung 34 points on them in the first half last Saturday. Nagy knows he can’t hide behind Trubisky anymore. Fields is his personal choice at quarterback. There are no more excuses. He must be a success Otherwise, Nagy is out of a job. That might explain why he’s being unusually conservative.
What Young says makes a lot of sense. Nagy is already under the gun for how listless his offense looks. He’s constantly sold people on the fact that it was the quarterback who is the problem. After watching Dalton the past two weeks, it hasn’t led anybody to think 2021 will be much better. His lone hope in their eyes is going with the superior athlete in Fields. Nagy doesn’t want to take that risk. The longer he stalls, the more time he buys himself.
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Steve Young knows Nagy doesn’t have credibility on his side
While it’s true he has never had a losing season, nobody can say it was because of his offense. That unit has routinely been one of the worst in the NFL the past three years. He has had the good fortune of inheriting a strong defense. That may not sustain him much longer. The defense is getting older and may undergo a transition period soon. The offense will have to pick up the slack if the Bears want to win. That puts immense pressure on Nagy to deliver.
This is why he wants to go with Dalton. It is the safer bet. While the veteran may not deliver a top 10 offense to Chicago, history says he can at least get them into the top 20. Something that would be a significant improvement for this team. On the other hand, if he throws in Fields immediately and the kid struggles? Fans and media won’t blame the QB. They’ll blame the head coach. Steve Young knows this. Why?
Nagy has no credibility.
Fields does. He was a massive success at Ohio State. He’s flashed all sorts of ability in the preseason. If one can’t get him going, then it can’t possibly be because Fields isn’t good enough. It must be the head coach and his entire system. Nagy says he is doing what is best for the rookie. That may be true, but it isn’t the only reason. Like it or not, there is an element of self-preservation involved in this.