The Great Irony Of Matt Nagy? He Ignored His Ideal QB In The Draft

Matt Nagy was first tipped off to Justin Fields back in 2020. His good friend Ryan Day, the head coach at Ohio State, called his young QB a "generational talent." When Nagy heard that, he made a mental note to keep an eye on Fields moving forward. When it became clear the Bears were going to pursue a new quarterback this offseason, he dug into the Buckeyes star with fervor. Before long, he became convinced the kid was special and had a chance to be great in the NFL. So Chicago moved up in the 1st round to grab him. Fans were jubilant. However, as the season unfolded, a troubling pattern emerged. Once Fields became the starter, the offense didn't seem to adjust with him. They didn't work enough to his strengths as both a runner and passer. If anything, it looked like Nagy was running the exact same offense they were running with Andy Dalton. An issue that persisted right up until last week against San Francisco when Nagy conveniently sat out with COVID.

This hammered home the reality to everybody.

The Bears head coach was focused on running a particular offensive system. He wasn't interested in molding an offense to the players he has. This was why he wanted to roll with Dalton. Not just because he felt Fields wasn't ready but also because he knew Dalton was the only one who might be able to run his system effectively. What makes all of this so ironic is that Nagy's headlong charge to get Fields saw him bypass another young quarterback that might've been a way better fit for his precious offense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5-hPrY5p7g&ab_channel=TurfSpotlight This is not a shot at Fields. This is more an indictment of Nagy. If he was so determined to run his specific style of offense, then Mac Jones would've made way more sense for the Bears. His abilities center on true pocket passing. Reading the field, going through progressions, throwing on time and on target, and operating with poise. He is proving he can do that in New England.

Matt Nagy came to run the Chiefs offense and nobody else's

That is the problem the Bears ran into. They were getting an apple off the Andy Reid tree. They didn't stop to wonder if he could be his own head coach. Time has proven Nagy is trying too hard to be Reid. Another irony seeing as how often he talks about "be you." In fact, one could argue he is running an offense with a vision of himself in it. Nagy was a pocket quarterback in college and the Arena League. So it makes sense he wouldn't be able to envision ways to adjust the system to fit guys like Fields who can do so much more than he, Alex Smith, or Dalton ever could. Jones is his type of guy. This is why they say fit might sometimes be better than talent in the NFL. How incredible is it that drafting Fields may end up being the move that gets Matt Nagy fired? Because it revealed to everybody that he is incapable of working to what his QB does best.

It was true with Trubisky as well.

That will be Nagy's legacy when he is likely fired at the end of the season. From there the Bears must seek a coach who can succeed where he failed. Putting a proper system that makes the most of what Fields does best. It is unfortunate because Nagy has certain head coach qualities. Just not enough to cover up his deficiencies.