Matt Nagy has caught flak from so many different people on how he’s approaching the Justin Fields situation. When the Chicago Bears traded up to get him at 11th overall, plenty of experts and fans felt the same thing. The Ohio State product was ready to play immediately. He had logged two seasons against top college competition. Few were as battle-tested as him. There was no reason to delay the inevitable.
The Bears head coach disagreed. From the outset, Nagy made it clear. Andy Dalton was going to start in 2021. Fields would be the primary backup and take the opportunity to learn as much as possible from watching the veteran operate. It is the same approach Nagy saw employed with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. Given how that worked out, it’s not hard to understand why he wants to do the same in Chicago.
This has made lots of people unhappy.
They don’t see the point of having to endure Dalton for maybe an entire season. Everybody knows what he is. Not a bad quarterback but not a good one either. Perfectly average. The Bears might be able to sneak into the playoffs with him under center, but they aren’t going to win the Super Bowl. Why not just give those snaps to Fields and let him learn the NFL speed on the fly? Nagy explained his reasoning to Peter King of NBC Sports.
“If we play Justin early to satisfy our needs, and not to do what’s best for Justin and the Chicago Bears, we’re going to ruin Justin and hurt the Bears,” Nagy said. “We need to do is what’s best for the Chicago Bears—not only right now but we want this to be something that lasts 15 years. Not two years. See what I’m saying?
What happens is, people get stuck in the moment, and they do it to satisfy themselves. I’m gonna do what’s best for Justin Fields. Not for Matt Nagy. People can say the save-your-job deal. Let me tell you how much I care about that part, okay? I don’t. When you start doing things to do things for yourself, you’re wrong. You’re dead wrong. You’re dead wrong. I’m not letting that happen. We are going to develop Justin right, and we’re sticking to it.”
That is quite a quote. For the first time, it truly felt like Nagy gave a straightforward, detailed, and passionate explanation for why he’s doing it this way. It is clear the head coach is focused on the big picture. This isn’t about his job security or anything superficial like that. It is about the long-term success of the Bears. To help ensure that, they must develop Fields the right way. That means not putting him out there until it is clear he is ready.
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Matt Nagy knows what Fields will become if this is done the right way
Sure, there is proof across NFL history of quarterbacks starting immediately as rookies and going on to great careers. There is also proof of talented guys getting chucked out there way too soon and crumbling under the pressure. Does Fields look like he’d be an immediate success? Yes. That doesn’t mean he will be. Not in this complicated offense and against what many surmise to be the toughest schedule in the league.
One that will feature six of the 10 best pass defenses in the NFL from last season. All while standing behind an offensive line that has three projected starters still out with injuries. Matt Nagy wants to see Fields play as much as anybody. He was the biggest facilitator of the Bears trading up to get him in the first place. At the same time, he also understands the dangers of sacrificing long-term benefits for short-term gains.
He won’t let that happen.
It finally feels like the head coach of the Bears understands the ultimate goal. This modern NFL is driven through the quarterback position. There are teams that have a good one and teams that don’t. It is a lot harder to win when you don’t have one. Nagy feels that Chicago may have the makings of one in Fields. He is dead set on making sure this thing is done the right way.
