Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy continues with his plan at quarterback despite calls around him to change. The time has come for him to adjust the plan and help the team.
Ever since the Chicago Bears incredibly found a way to move up in the draft to select Justin Fields, people around the NFL have asked when they’ll be able to see the super rookie in action. Not just a play here or there, but as the starting quarterback.
Both the team and the fans feel Fields is finally the franchise quarterback they’ve spent over a century searching for. He has all the tools and the mentality to handle whatever he needs to succeed and thrive in the NFL.
However, head coach Matt Nagy has tried to slow the excitement down. He executed a plan that he and the Kansas City Chiefs had when they drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017. We see how successful Mahomes has been since sitting down nearly all of his rookie season (starting just the final game of the regular season).
Nagy announced almost immediately that he would use the same game plan for Fields. He wants the rookie to sit and learn behind Andy Dalton. Everyone knows that Fields will be the starter next season. Dalton only has a one-year deal so he won’t be with the Bears in 2022. The problem, though, is that the situation in Chicago is completely different than in Kansas City.
The Chiefs had a playoff-caliber team. Yes, they lost in the opening round, but that was an upset. They had a very good team and a solid starting quarterback in Alex Smith. Also, the team didn’t have the failures at quarterback that the Bears have had. Their fanbase wasn’t desperately looking for a savior.
Dalton is a decent quarterback but not at the level Smith was in 2017. He is on the downside of his career and will now be nothing more than a good backup quarterback. Also, this team is far from a playoff contender. Despite making the playoffs in 2020, they showed in their loss to the New Orleans Saints they didn’t belong. In fact, they actually backed into the playoffs.
In a game they needed to win in the regular-season finale, they played like a team already preparing for the offseason. They were fortunate that the team ahead of them at the time, the Arizona Cardinals, lost and gave the Bears the final playoff spot.
People around Matt Nagy are joining in the calls for Justin Fields
The calls for Fields to start are growing louder around Nagy. Not just the fans but the rest of the NFL world are begging for Fields to take over. However, Nagy stubbornly continues with his plan. By doing so, he risks losing the locker room.
Nagy did an excellent job of maintaining confidence in the locker room last year when the Bears were in the midst of a six-game losing streak. The team righted the ship and won enough games down the stretch to even have a chance at the playoffs. The team could have just quit when everything was going wrong. Nagy deserves credit for avoiding that.
This Fields situation, however, threatens to blow up in Nagy’s face. If the players feel that the best possible team isn’t used, they’ll stop playing hard for the coaches. Yes, I know that they’re professionals and should always play hard, but they are also human. What’s the point of it all if the coach will just do whatever the hell he wants?
I originally agreed with the plan to sit Fields, but only if he really wasn’t ready. For Nagy to go out and not at least give him a chance to earn the job was wrong. While his defenders point out the Chiefs, one could also point out the Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson.
In 2012, Seattle had their $10 million quarterback in Matt Flynn. They also went out and drafted Wilson in the third round. Head coach Pete Carroll gave Wilson a real shot at the starting job. Wilson outplayed Flynn and Carroll named him the starter.
Nagy handed the keys to Dalton and nothing was going to change that. He even admitted to it. Back in June, on The Chris Collinsworth Podcast, he was asked if there was any scenario, barring injuries, he saw in which Fields would start Week 1. He didn’t hesitate to say no.
Nagy’s closed-mindedness will end up hurting him.
How would the players react to not giving a player an equal chance to win a job? Well, maybe they feel bold enough to openly criticize the coach. That is what wide receiver Marquise Goodwin did after the Week1 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He felt the short passes helped Jalen Ramsey have a big game.
"As you mentioned, he’s a unique player, All-Pro, Pro Bowler, instinctive, especially in short spaces. And us not running past 10 yards, that fell right into his hand, I feel like."
The coaches are getting into the act. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor threw fuel on the fire without actually calling for Fields to start. He said in his Week 2 press conference that Fields was “ready to handle anything” back in the preseason.
OC Bill Lazor was asked about Justin Fields. Said the QB was ready to handle 'anything' back in the preseason.
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) September 15, 2021
If that is the case, why isn’t he the starter? No, he won’t be a polished product, but if he indeed has the ability to handle anything, he should be in there and get the polishing started.
Nagy is handling Fields like the kid is fragile. He acts as if any struggles he might have will destroy his confidence. He doesn’t seem like a wallflower, though. He seems like a guy ready to lead the Chicago Bears into a new era of winning football. The only roadblock is Nagy, but if the coach continues the plan, that might change.