Elliott Fry Defends Matt Nagy Over Use of Cody Parkey Replays

Matt Nagy has drawn a lot of criticism for how he's managed the Chicago Bears kicking competition. One tactic in particular that got some blowback from media and experts was his decision to show the team replays of the infamous missed 43-yard kick by Cody Parkey in the playoffs. The moment that cost Chicago a victory over the then-defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Former head coach Jeff Fisher was among the most outspoken on such a move. He failed to see the benefits of such a decision. If it were him, he would've acted fast to move on from that game. The sooner it was in the rearview mirror and forgotten, the better. Nagy himself remained steadfast in his decision, believing that the team had to confront the failure in order to properly move past it.

One man who surprisingly came to his defense? That would be Elliott Fry. Despite being cut by the Bears in favor of Eddy Pineiro, the young kicker told Adam Jahns of The Athletic that Nagy made the right decision.

“It’s weird seeing it,” he said, “because at that point, you’re like, ‘Damn.’ You almost feel like you’re on the hot seat. But again, it’s all purposeful. They want a guy who … you can’t be afraid of that kick. You’ve got to embrace it. I thought they did the right thing.”

The previous displays of the miss didn’t really stick with Fry. He couldn’t recall his thoughts from seeing them in rookie minicamp. It felt more significant in OTAs with the rest of the real team.

“We really never saw it again after that,” he said.

Elliott Fry believes Bears competition made him better

Fry could easily be frustrated and bitter about how his time in Chicago ended. Like many of the other kickers who experienced the competition but didn't last long. However, that is not the case. Fry made it clear that while he was disappointed he wasn't able to win the job, the entire experience dating back to May in minicamps helped make him a better kicker. One who believes he'll be a starter in the NFL before too long.

The fact he was picked up so quickly by the Baltimore Ravens, a team known for having a great eye for kickers, is certainly a positive reinforcement. Fry was a good kicker with strong mechanics and solid accuracy. His primary concern, and likely the reason Pineiro beat him out, was leg strength. His kickoffs were rarely long enough to result in touchbacks and his lone long chance in the preseason of 47 yards sailed wide.

In Soldier Field where the wind is such a factor, leg strength matters. Thus Pineiro won the job. Fry though, with his confidence and strong approach, will land on his feet somewhere.