Hub Arkush: There’s no reason to believe Ryan Pace, Matt Nagy enter season on hot seat

[Mighty Joe Young]

Sorry, but there is no way that Nagy's seat is not warm.

He fired most of his offensive coaching staff after the 2019 season.

He gave up playcalling, likely forced, for part of the 2020 season.. and this is a coach that has made it known he always wants to be a playcaller.

An offensive head coach has put his team in the bottom 25% of the league in offense for 3 straight seasons. If the Bears will fire Lovie after a 10-6 season, they will shitcan Nagy. They are more loyal than most franchises, but they have their limits.

Honestly? There have been so many times fans swore that a GM or coach HAD to be fired over the many years of following the Bears who in the end, weren't (take this past off-season for example), that I believe fan sentiment is an unreliable indicator of a coach or GMs employment status, UNLESS fans stop showing up for games.....

 

[Chicagosports89]

I know everyone hates Hub, but without even reading this article he is right. The question about the length of contracts for both Pace and Nagy were brought up during the end of the season press conference, and neither George or Ted would answer the question. When the length of Nagy's contract was asked of Pace, he would answer the question.

There is absolutely nothing to suggest their seats are anything but comfortable.

I still think they weren't giving details because somebody if not both only have 1 year left and it makes mccaskey and Ted look incompetent with these guys desperate and on the hot seat but in control of the offseason

 

[Nelly]

Just for reference, Jerry Angelo lasted for 11 years. 95 wins, 81 losses, 4 playoff appearances, 3 wins 4 losses in the playoffs.

His first year was the 2001 13-3 aberration of a season before the team followed it up with 4-12, 7-9 and 5-11. After that they made the playoffs twice with 11-5 (divisional loss) then 13-3 en route to the superbowl loss. After that, they went 7-9, 9-7 and 7-9. His last two seasons were 11-5 (conference final loss) then 8-8 before he was fired.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

I still think they weren't giving details because somebody if not both only have 1 year left and it makes mccaskey and Ted look incompetent with these guys desperate and on the hot seat but in control of the offseason

Or they have multiple years left, and they didn't want the fandom to know that they won't be eating salary. The larger point is with them being coy about the entire thing there's no real reason to speculate over it.

 

[BEARZOMBIE]

Or they have multiple years left, and they didn't want the fandom to know that they won't be eating salary. The larger point is with them being coy about the entire thing there's no real reason to speculate over it.

It’s either they got extended and don’t want fan backlash that they won’t eat salary

or @Chicagosports89 i believe had an excellent point they don’t want it out there that they have a lame duck hc/gm

knowing the bears A is the likely answer but both points are valid

 

[PrideisBears]

This has been obvious since the draft. No GM would be allowed to continuously mortgage the future with trade ups unless he would be a part of said future

 

[Chicago4Life]

i think they are on the hot seat, yes it was great they secured a potential franchise qb in fields but now its back to reality.

Pace - failed to upgrade the offensive positions through the draft especially when it comes to day 1, day 2 picks...
QB - drafted 2, trubisky - massive bust(1st), jury is out on fields(1st)
WR - drafted 2, white(1st) and miller(2nd), both were massive disappointments
TE - drafted 2, shaheen(2nd) was a terrible reach, jury still out on kmet(1st)
RB - none drafted on day 1 or day 2
OL - drafted 3, whitehair is a stud, jury still out on daniels and jenkins hasnt played a snap to injury

Nagy - failed to upgrade the offense into an above average offense...blamed trubisky, traded for foles and he didnt do it, now its dalton...he can no longer hide behind the defense. His playcalling has no rhythm, tries to get too cute with personnel and ultimately overthinks scenarios on short yardage.

Another year of poor offensive output from nagy will likely get this duo fired...there is no hiding this season when there are ~8 playoff teams on the schedule, if the offense cant move the ball its going to be a blowout especially with this young secondary.

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

Honestly I don't even see a lot of pressure on the Bears this year. Sure you have fans who wish and hope Nagy would get fired as well as pace. And you have people in the media who want the same thing. But since when do they decide who runs the bears?

Honestly, this year just feels like a transition year. It's a handoff year transitioning from the window for Mitch to setting the plate for the new window for fields.

None of us expect the bears to go to the super bowl this year anyway so I am not really looking for much other than to be entertained this year.

For me the criticism will seriously start next year as they start building around fields

 

[Chicagosports89]

Honestly I don't even see a lot of pressure on the Bears this year. Sure you have fans who wish and hope Nagy would get fired as well as pace. And you have people in the media who want the same thing. But since when do they decide who runs the bears?

Honestly, this year just feels like a transition year. It's a handoff year transitioning from the window for Mitch to setting the plate for the new window for fields.

None of us expect the bears to go to the super bowl this year anyway so I am not really looking for much other than to be entertained this year.

For me the criticism will seriously start next year as they start building around fields

Idc about Pace because he is clearly getting a pass this year from the FO for some reason. But you don't need to see anything from Nagy? Idc that the team is shit, he needs to show he isn't a moron. There is enough there on offense that he should be able to show some level of competence

 

[Black Rainbow]

From Jahns of The Athletic this morning:

”Bears chairman George McCaskey once promised Pace that he’d be patient with his work in charge of his team’s football operations. The question now is whether that patience reloads with Fields’ arrival after what happened with Trubisky and Nagy.

But if you trusted Pace and Nagy to trade up for Fields, then you should trust their plan for him, too. Firing them after this season and starting Fields over with a new GM, a new coach, a new offensive coordinator and new position coach feels shortsighted but also something like the Bears would do because they’ve made similar moves in the past.

After Trubisky’s first season, John Fox was fired and Nagy was hired. After Jay Cutler’s debut season with the Bears in 2008, Mike Martz replaced Ron Turner. Cutler then outlasted the coaching regimes of Smith, Marc Trestman and Fox but also GMs Jerry Angelo and Phil Emery.

After Rex Grossman’s rookie season in 2003, Angelo fired coach Dick Jauron and offensive coordinator John Shoop after a 7-9 season and brought in Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Terry Shea. The latter lasted only one season before being replaced by Turner.

Providing Fields with some organizational stability should be a goal for, well, the entire Bears organization. For many reasons, that’s been difficult for the team. But like everything, it starts at the top with McCaskey and president Ted Phillips. See where I’m going with this?

Fields arguably has the talent to transcend who coaches him or who runs the Bears’ personnel department. But the bold thing for the Bears to do, based on what they’ve done before, would be to see things through with Pace and Nagy this season, next season and maybe even one more. Perhaps the organization’s patience could finally pay off.”

Yep.

Drafting Fields is not a show of support for Nagy & Pace. The Bears have shown they'll fire coaches if they aren't going to get the most out of their new QB.

Nagy has failed to get the most out of any player - I think he's gone after this year because ultimately he'll tango with Fields, so the sooner the change the better. (This is also contingent on brass seeing a couple candidates they could take a run at.)

 

[Black Rainbow]

Idc about Pace because he is clearly getting a pass this year from the FO for some reason. But you don't need to see anything from Nagy? Idc that the team is shit, he needs to show he isn't a moron. There is enough there on offense that he should be able to show some level of competence

What leads you to believe Pace CLEARLY is getting a pass?

 

[mattb78]

Historically the Bears were loyal to a fault to coaches, but that hasn't been the case in recent history.

Lovie got the axe after a 10-6 season. Trestman lasted only 2 years. Fox got his 3 years and was then dismissed.

This is year 4 for Nagy and everybody and their mother knows he has ridden a defense for 3 years. He is an offensive coach and he has to produce offense.

I think getting close to the middle of the road on offense keeps him around... OR Fields coming in later in the season and looking really good under his system. But if Dalton and Fields struggle in this offense I would say his job is in deep trouble. If the Bears finish offensively in the bottom 5 or 6 I would say Nagy is definitely gone, bottom 1/3 is a toss up, if he gets close to average he stays.

 

[Chicagosports89]

What leads you to believe Pace CLEARLY is getting a pass?

Just the assumption that most people think he has more leeway than Nagy. It does appear the FO loves him and will likely keep him around unless things completely burn to the ground.

 

[mattb78]

I believe Pace's job is safer than Nagy's, based purely on performance. Pace showed he could build a very good defense and he may have solved the QB problem. The logic in keeping Pace is that if he finds a quality head coach (Daboll), then you have the coach, you have the QB and you know Pace can build a solid defense, so you feel pretty set up as a franchise if the HC hire goes right. I think our offensive skill positions are harder to evaluate because they have been coached so poorly, but the cupboard certainly isn't bare.

Conversely, they could still fire both of them, and I think the logic would be that it is a necessity that a GM has to find and hire a quality head coach, and they just don't feel comfortable with Pace picking a new coach.

What we don't know is how much say Pace had in hiring Fox. He owns the Nagy mistake for sure, but if Fox was forced on him or wasn't his first choice, they may allow him to select his 2nd head coach. So far it looks like he did well the 2nd time around at QB.

 

[Black Rainbow]

Just the assumption that most people think he has more leeway than Nagy. It does appear the FO loves him and will likely keep him around unless things completely burn to the ground.

The team has been getting worse every year since 2018. If they suck this year, it's 3 years in a row. They simply rode the coattails of a great DC in Fangio.

They are going to have to dump a bunch of vets next year with no first or fourth round pick.

Rather than gradually building the roster with the draft and letting players develop...they are in for jarring roster turnover that's going to be a hot mess. There won't be enough talent available at the price they need to have a solid roster.

 

[mattb78]

Rather than gradually building the roster with the draft and letting players develop...they are in for jarring roster turnover that's going to be a hot mess. There won't be enough talent available at the price they need to have a solid roster.

Respectfully, I think that is a little doomsday approach. Offensively, Robinson is the only big ticket name leaving and replaceable at the price he is asking. Defensively, we will feel the loss of Hicks next season and then Mack eventually, but still plenty of young talent in Nichols, Goldman, Roquan, J. Johnson and Eddie Jackson.

Transition. Absolutely. But this roster is not going to fall apart in a few years. We are probably going to get 5 starters from the 2020 draft alone.

 

[modo]

I don't think Fields resets the expectations to the beginning. I think it gives a little breathing room.

I think Nagy could be gone soon unless he improves.

 

[TexasBearfan]

i've been watching the Bears for 48 years, they've had some shitty coaches that i've liked or felt sorry for, a lot of whom should never have been hired but Bears gonna Bear.....but I've never hated a coach the way I hate Nagy...and i think Pace is a gambling idiot, the kind of guy who keeps buying instant lottery tickets and hits every once in a while and then sells some stuff at the pawn shop so he can go buy more instant lottery tickets. I think the organization are enablers and are somehow emotionally intertwined with these 2 boobs and are going to let them fuck us over for at least 2 more years, they're like having chlamydia and hemorrhoids at the same time.

 

[Diehardfan]

Respectfully, I think that is a little doomsday approach. Offensively, Robinson is the only big ticket name leaving and replaceable at the price he is asking. Defensively, we will feel the loss of Hicks next season and then Mack eventually, but still plenty of young talent in Nichols, Goldman, Roquan, J. Johnson and Eddie Jackson.

Transition. Absolutely. But this roster is not going to fall apart in a few years. We are probably going to get 5 starters from the 2020 draft alone.

This is pretty much spot on. Contrary to what a lot of people here think....over the last 10 years the Bears are not terrible. They are certainly not good but if you are looking at terrible teams in the last decade try looking at Jacksonville, Washington, NY Jets and the Browns. People scream the Bears SUCK because Green Bay does not.....the Packers have been good for a very long time. 2nd only to New England since 2010. The Bears are in the middle of the pack.....not a good place to be as being very good is obviously preferable or very bad if you are building. BUT....they did find a way to get a potential franchise QB without being horrible. That is a huge bonus. Do they have holes? Hell yes but if fucking Pace can hold onto a few more picks and learn from past Cap guffaws, they are not as far away as people think.

 

[TheWinman]

Hub Arkush: There’s no reason to believe Ryan Pace, Matt Nagy enter season on hot seat

Agree or disagree, but there's no indication Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy enter the 2021 season on the hot seat, Hub Arkush writes.

www.shawlocal.com

It's from Hub so the opposite must be true.

They are not on the hot seat. As soon as Fields was drafted, they bought themselves another year.