Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy has long been rumored to be on his way out of Chicago for a long time. Now, with his proverbial back to the wall in Week 4 of the ongoing season, his latest decision could make or break his coaching career. With veteran quarterback Andy Dalton still nursing a knee injury, the Bears coach has decided to start rookie Justin Fields in their Week 4 matchup versus the Detroit Lions, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Bears’ QB Justin Fields will start Sunday vs. the Lions.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 2, 2021
On the other hand, Dalton was downgraded to “doubtful” status by the Bears staff. Despite his improvements during practice, Nagy and the Bears feel that Dalton's knee isn't quite there yet. (via Ian Rapoport)
#Bears QB Justin Fields is expected to start on Sunday against the #Lions. Andy Dalton’s knee is not quite ready and he’s downgraded to doubtful, though he did make strides at practice this week.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 2, 2021
Nagy has been adamant in his decision to start the veteran Dalton over Fields, a move that has drawn criticism from Bears fans. With Dalton going down in Week 2, many expected Nagy to immediately turn to Fields to start. Instead, the Bears coach has been dilly-dallying with his choice, even going so far to say that this Week 4 decision was a “game-time” one.
His reluctance to start Fields is understandable to an extent: quarterbacking an entire NFL offense is a tall task for a rookie. Only a few players have had the skill and experience needed to take over the QB1 role for an NFL team. Fields also hasn't been exactly great in his first start for the Bears.
But that less-than-ideal start falls on Nagy's shoulders more than Fields. The Bears have been unable to create an offense for Fields' talents to shine. Whether it's ineptitude or stubbornness, the fact is that Nagy has failed to create an environment for his rookie to succeed. If the Bears offense falls flat against the Lions again in Week 4, expect the chatter regarding Nagy's job to grow louder.