People will continue to say that Justin Fields was the product of GM Ryan Pace making another bold move for a quarterback in the 1st round. However, that is only a half-truth. While the man did have the final say in the move itself and was 100% on board with it, there is no denying the real facts. Fields was the guy head coach Matt Nagy wanted.
Rumors persisted for weeks leading up to the draft that Nagy was leading the search for a new QB. After the draft, he stated that the interest in Fields actually began early in 2020. His friend Ryan Day, head coach at Ohio State, tipped him off that the young Buckeyes QB was something special. Since then Nagy made sure to stay apprised of the situation. The more he watched, the more he liked.
As the 2021 draft loomed, the head coach was all-in.
Fields was his guy. The Bears were going to get him, come hell or high water. Pace himself admitted that he’d warned Nagy. The actual odds of them getting high enough for the QB were slim. Nagy didn’t want to hear it. He was an optimist. After several tense moments between picks #4 and 10, the New York Giants gave them the answer they were looking for. They’d swap pick #11 for Chicago’s package in return. They got their guy. Video from that moment could see Nagy practically jumping out of his chair.
Now that the quarterback is settled in on the depth chart, it appears the head coach is finally letting it sink in. After a rollercoaster offseason that saw them lose out on Matthew Stafford, lose out on Russell Wilson and get blasted for signing Andy Dalton? It somehow worked out. For the first time, Nagy openly admitted that he had a few doubts of his own during an interview with longtime color analyst Cris Collinsworth. When it happened? It felt “too good to be true.”
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The most interesting team in the NFL right now, the Chicago Bears. Head Coach Matt Nagy joins me Tuesday. Justin Fields has that great city pumped. pic.twitter.com/e7Y8G6oB68
— Cris Collinsworth (@CollinsworthPFF) June 14, 2021
Matt Nagy knows exactly what is at stake now
He got his quarterback. That is a good thing. However, it’s also only the beginning of the grand plan. If this is going to work out as he hopes, then it is his responsibility to turn Fields into the player everybody thinks he should be. The talent is there. He’s smart too. A workout warrior. It feels like the only way he can fail in the NFL is if he doesn’t get the necessary coaching.
Matt Nagy is under a ton of heat for how his offense has performed the past three years. Failing to finish in the top 20. Plenty of people wonder if he’s capable of putting together an actual productive unit. His decision to resume play-calling duties suggests he thinks so. A clear indication that he felt the quarterbacks were the primary issue with the team. Fields is different. The trick is making sure he’s ready before putting him out there.
That is why the plan for 2021 is to sit him.
Andy Dalton will hold down the fort, keeping the offensive viable. At the same time, Fields will use that extra time to prepare. When Nagy and the coaches feel he’s ready, the kid will get the nod. It is a somewhat unpopular approach, but one they believe is in the best interests of both the team and the player. Here’s hoping he is right.