Matt Nagy understood exactly what he was getting into when he took the Chicago Bears head coaching job. The NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-lately league. That means he has to win football games. Not doing that makes people start to question whether he deserves that job. The recent six-game losing streak was likely the low point of his career. Yet despite all that, the Bears have persevered. Tashaun Gipson was quick to leap to his defense.
He isn’t the first player to say great things about Nagy. Cordarrelle Patterson declared his loyalty on Twitter. The veteran safety is well-traveled in the NFL. He’s played with several head coaches in his career. Among them were Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Doug Marrone, and Bill O’Brien. Not exactly an A-list.
So it makes sense he might appreciate someone like Nagy more than others.
Tashaun Gipson said of Matt Nagy: " To go on a six-game losing streak and for it to look like the house is on fire, for a guy to stay that poised and each week, man, he never changed. He never wavered. … You want to win football games for him. You want to play hard for him."
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) December 24, 2020
This has been something others have mentioned about the Bears head coach too. Not just players but assistants as well. One thing that constantly stands out is how unflappable he is regardless of the situation. Nagy is ceaselessly looking for ways to win games no matter how out of reach a game or a season might look. Pulling together back-to-back wins after a six-game losing streak is a perfect example.
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To date, his team has executed eight 4th quarter comebacks in less than three seasons. With three different quarterbacks no less. None of them being of the elite category like Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes. Of the 20 losses his teams have suffered, only five of them were by double digits. Despite all the hills and valleys, the Bears are competitive in almost every ball game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUB-rH6U1-k&ab_channel=ChicagoBears
Tashaun Gipson is presenting Nagy’s strongest argument to stay
People think it’s his contract that will convince the Bears ownership to not move on from him. He has two years left on the deal. Both guaranteed. Paying him to go away in the middle of a pandemic probably isn’t something the McCaskeys would be wild about. However, the reality is it’s not just about that. They actually like Nagy. Both as a coach and as a person.
His offensive aptitude deserves plenty of questioning. Especially since the Bears almost immediately started scoring points after he gave up play-calling. Yet one thing that is beyond reproach at this point is his leadership. The man understands how to command a locker room and get the most effort out of his players on Sunday. Even when things look their darkest. That is a trait a lot of coaches just don’t have. Tashaun Gipson recognizes this as do others.
Nagy isn’t perfect but he’s learning. That sort of thing matters.
It means he is evolving as a head coach. He is far from the first to suffer through hiccups in his first seasons on the job. Are the Bears willing to gamble letting him walk next year when signs are growing that he’s starting to figure it out? It won’t be an easy decision either way. These next couple of weeks will be fascinating to watch.