PHOENIX — From discussing the Bears’ best players to revealing what Chiefs coach Andy Reid says in his text messages, coach Matt Nagy’s one-hour meeting with the media provided more than the breakfast buffet and omelette station that were only a few steps away from his table.
Here are the five best stories that Nagy shared during the annual coaches breakfast at the league meetings at the Arizona Biltmore on Tuesday:
Comfort in cheeseburgers
When it comes to discussing losses, Nagy and Reid, his mentor, have a 24-hour rule. But Nagy violated that rule after the Bears’ playoff loss against the Eagles. He called him on his drive home.
“One of the first things that coach said was — and this was pretty neat — he was able to see a lot of our games and he saw the growth in our quarterback [Mitch Trubisky],” Nagy said. “That was, to me, really strong in the fact that he’s telling me what a great job Mitchell did throughout the year. And that was comforting because that was a big part of what we were looking for this year.
“And then as far as handling the loss, it’s life. It’s football. You’ll get over it. Give it a couple days.”
Nagy gave Reid a couple days before he called him after the Chiefs lost to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
“Coach was down, and it was hard,” Nagy said. “He was so close. And I wanted it so bad for him. You just feel it.”
But their mood changed 15 minutes into their conversation.
“He says to me, ‘Oh, man, we just both need a cheeseburger’ — and that’s him,” Nagy said. “You can hear him saying that.”
Reid sent Nagy a text the following day. It included a picture of Bears circled on the Chiefs’ schedule for the 2019 season.
“He says, ‘Let’s go, baby!’ ” Nagy said. “So we’re ready.”
Reid’s pancakes bitmoji
Nagy never shared that cheeseburger with Reid. But he did send Reid a picture of Town Topic after he and his wife, Stacey, “hammered” cheeseburgers at the Kansas City restaurant while they were in town for an awards ceremony.
It soon turned into a revelation that Nagy and Reid communicate often by texting their own bitmojis, which are personalized versions of emoljis.
“No one knows it — I probably just told you — but [Reid’s] big on bitmojis, and he builds himself in a Tommy Bahama [shirt],” Nagy said. “So he has a Tommy Bahama, and then he’ll send me a picture of like eating a bunch of cheeseburgers or something. Then I have mine. And I send him back mine. We have fun with it.”
Nagy then showed the media a recent bitmoji from Reid.
“You see coach with the pancakes,” Nagy said. “See, I’m not lying. That’s it right there.”
Reid often wears Tommy Bahama’s Hawaiian-like shirts during the league’s meetings while most coaches adhere to business casual attire. He stands out in the annual group picture of the coaches because of it, too.
Nagy also shared the bitmoji of himself with the media.
“I’m Bear’ed up,” Nagy said. “I got the Bears hat. They don’t have a visor. So I got to talk to somebody.”
Signs from the stars
As the Patriots played and eventually defeated the Rams in Super Bowl 53, outside linebacker Khalil Mack was in the gym working out.
“I know that for a fact,” Nagy said. “That’s pretty good to have that. When you have guys like that that want the trophy and they want the ultimate prize in the end, that’s special.”
The Bears’ success as a team last year turned into personnel accolades for some of their best players. A league-high seven players played in the Pro Bowl after alternates were added, including Trubisky, left tackle Charles Leno Jr., center Cody Whitehair, running back/kick returner Tarik Cohen, defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, safety Eddie Jackson and cornerback Kyle Fuller.
Cohen, Hicks, Jackson and Fuller were original selections, along with Mack, who missed the game because of an injury. Cohen, Jackson, Fuller and Mack also were first-team All Pro selections.
“Of everybody that you just talked about that got those awards, they all either sent me a text or called me to tell me that they want the trophy,” Nagy said. “That [the personal honors are] great, but they want the trophy. Every one of them.”
It was especially true for Mack.
“From talking to No. 52, Khalil, he’s hungry,” Nagy said. “[From] all of the other accolades and everything, he wants a Super Bowl.”
Building around Mitch
The Bears’ decision to re-sign third-string quarterback Tyler Bray was significant for those who know him and understand his importance best. That starts with Trubisky.
“Mitch was one of the first guys that called me just to tell me how excited he was that Tyler’s coming back as that third quarterback,” Nagy said.
Re-signing Bray is part of the Bears’ plan to continuously support Trubisky on and off the field. Nagy described Trubisky as elated, while also highlighting the importance of quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone and veteran backup Chase Daniel.
“The trust thing, they knocked that wall down,” Nagy said. “And now, those three guys … are helping out Mitch to try to be the best quarterback he can be.”
Exiting the building
Nagy ended his exit interviews with his players after the 2018 season with a new message.
“Now, we’re now the hunted,” he said. “We’re not hunting anymore; we’re the hunted.”
That’s what happens when you go 12-4 and win the NFC North.
“That’s what you want,” Nagy said. “We want to be that team that gets on primetime as much as we can. If you’re doing that, you’re doing something right because people want to see you.
“But within our Halas Hall, our players are going to realize — and they’re going to feel it from our staff and from myself — that last year is gone.”
It’s a message that will be repeated when players report to Halas Hall next month for the start of their offseason program.
“When I stand out there and I hold the trophy and I tell you, ‘This is why we’re here’ — you’ve got to believe it,” Nagy said. “[I’m] not sure that everybody believed it at the beginning of the season last year. Now when we get in there April 15th, every one of those guys in that building is going to believe it.”
