The Chicago Bears are overhauling their organization this offseason, hitting the reset button after a failed tenure with head coach Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitch Trubisky. But the level of dysfunction within the organization and the rift between the quarterback and coach is now coming to light.
Chicago hired Nagy in 2018, hoping the former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator would serve as a quarterback whisperer for Trubisky. Bears’ general manager Ryan Pace traded up for Trubisky in the 2017 NFL Draft, selecting him No. 2 overall and viewing Nagy as the perfect hire to unlock his quarterback’s potential.
- Matt Nagy record: 34-31, 0-2 in playoffs
Things looked promising entering the 2019 season. Chicago posted a 12-4 record with Nagy winning AP NFL Coach of the Year and Trubisky finished the season with a 95.4 passer rating and a 24-12 TD-INT ratio. But after a down 2019 season that saw Trubisky regress and Chicago miss the playoffs, Matt Nagy’s relationship with his young quarterback reportedly changed.
According to an in-depth story from The Athletic’s Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain, Nagy had a habit of calling out players in front of their teammates. No one escaped his scorn, even defensive players when it was Nagy’s offense that struggled.
But while everyone in the locker room got used to it, the coach’s way of holding everyone accountable, Nagy’s berating of Trubisky struck the locker room differently. One of the most glaring examples came after a Week 2 victory over the New York Giants in 2020. Trubisky went through the wrong progressions and while he completed the throw and led a scoring drive, Chicago’s head coach lit up the quarterback while watching film days later.
“Nagy proceeded to chastise Mitch for being uncoachable and not throwing it to the proper guy in front of the whole team.”
Chicago Bears source on former HC Matt Nagy calling out Mitch Trubisky during 2020 season, via The Athletic
Trubisky was liked throughout the locker room and Nagy’s scolding of Nagy impacted the quarterback and reportedly “bummed out his teammates.” After Trubisky threw an interception a week later, he was benched with Nick Foles taking over.
Trubisky saw limited action after that and signed with the Buffalo Bills this past offseason, playing well in the preseason. But the relationship between Matt Nagy and the Bears’ top pick also had issues in 2019.
Matt Nagy reportedly skipped offseason meeting with Mitchell trubisky
Playing through a torn labrum for the majority of the 2019 season, Trubisky struggled. After completing 66% of his passes with a 95.4 passer rating in 2018, he completed just 63.2% of his attempts with an 83.0 passer rating the following year.
After the season concluded, Trubisky prepared notes for a meeting with Nagy to review to the 2019 season in an effort to correct things. According to The Athletic’s reporting, Nagy never showed up to meet the Bears’ quarterback.
There were also issues in practices. Bears’ sources told The Athletic that Trubisky would tell coaches in the middle of camp “none of this stuff is working,” and would point out issues with the offense. He was told to “trust the process” and the issues would prove to still be there during the regular season.
Chicago made one of the biggest NFL draft blunders ever by drafting Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. But based on The Athletic’s reporting, it’s evident that Nagy also played a role in the struggles of a quarterback he reportedly never wanted.
While Matt Nagy might eventually get another opportunity to become an NFL head coach, it might take a few years and some personal changes before that happen.