The Bears hired a first-time head coach with a background on the offensive side of the ball a year after drafting a quarterback at the top of the first round.
If the trappings of Matt Nagy’s arrival in Chicago sound familiar, it might be because the Rams did something similar when they hired Sean McVay last season. The similarities continue with word that veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will remain with the Bears much in the way that Wade Phillips joined McVay in Los Angeles for the 2017 season.
The Bears would certainly love it if Nagy’s arrival resulted in the same kind of jump in the standings that the Rams experienced in 2017, although Nagy was careful to say on Tuesday that he’s not just here because the Bears want to see him work with Mitch Trubisky.
“It’s certainly a part of it, but that’s not the reason why I’m here,” Nagy said. “I’m here because of the organization and the direction. I could feel that from the moment I was in that interview process. That’s a benefit to have Mitch Trubisky. I knew a lot about him because I had him in the Combine and we spent some time with him. But this is a team game. Everyone on this team is just as important as the quarterback. But that was certainly a part of it.”
Everyone on the team is important, but Trubisky was the only player that General Manager Ryan Pace considered (and ultimately passed on) having involved with the interview process. Nagy’s success with the Bears is going to be tied more closely to Trubisky’s growth than anything else and the sooner that growth comes the better for all involved.