It’s shaping up to be an offseason of change for the Chicago Bears, who sit at 5-10 with just two games remaining in what’s been an arduous season.
The Bears rallied from behind for a 25-24 comeback victory over the Seahawks on Sunday. But that changes nothing in regards to Matt Nagy’s future. Nagy will still be fired by season’s end. Heck, Nagy has overstayed his welcome at this point.
But even though the Bears recorded their first win since Thanksgiving on Sunday, Nagy should still be fired immediately. Not two weeks from now, right now.
Teams can begin interviewing coaching candidates starting Tuesday — assuming they’ve already fired their head coach or have informed their head coach they’ll be let go. So far, that includes the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars. And that should also include the Bears.
Given the Bears have never fired a head coach midseason, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they kept Nagy in place until the season finale on Jan. 9. But that doesn’t mean they won’t inform Nagy that he’ll be let go at season’s end. And if that’s the case, it’s possible the news leaks.
Then again, if the Bears don’t fire Nagy before season’s end, it could indicate that there are bigger changes coming from the front office. While general manager Ryan Pace’s fate isn’t sealed, there’s a chance Chicago decides to clean house and start anew at GM and head coach.
After all, what good would it do the Bears to start interviewing coaching candidates if next year’s GM isn’t in place. Who would be conducting the interviews? George McCaskey? Ted Phillips? Pace?
Whether or not the Bears decide to ride with Pace next season, that shouldn’t stop them from firing Nagy right now. We’ve seen some questionable decisions on his part — from his handling of Justin Fields to not prioritizing the development of younger players — and the sooner Nagy’s gone, the better.
Just get it over with. Why prolong the inevitable? Send Nagy out a winner.
