Chuck Pagano has made no secret of the fact that he was thrilled to get the job as new defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. A big reason for that was it got him back to work after a year off. Like many long-tenured NFL coaches, Pagano doesn’t do well with lots of free time. He enjoys the game, the competition, and the grind that comes with all of it. After being fired as head coach in Indianapolis, it was the first time he’d gone without work in decades.
Going from that to running one of the most storied defenses in league history? That has to feel pretty good. Pagano is a veteran coach with a knowledge of history. He knows the big shoes he’s stepping into and the expectations placed on his shoulders. Replacing somebody like Vic Fangio is not easy. There’s a reason he’s widely viewed as one of the best defensive coordinators in the game. Everywhere he’s been, the defenses had success.
Pagano is hoping to further that and even build upon it. He knows the caliber of talent he has at his disposal. The Bears were the #1 defense in 2018 and most of their core remains intact. They have a chance to get even better. This may explain why he delivered a rather surprising quote to former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt, who relayed it on the McNeil & Parkings show on 670 The Score.
“He made a comment to me. He said, ‘This may be the best job available last year including all the head coaching jobs.’ And we started laughing.”
Chuck Pagano has already made his presence felt
Though it remains early, there are already signs that Pagano is having an effect on the defense. They’ve been giving the Bears offense all sorts of problems in training camp thus far. They’re more aggressive with their pressure packages and the defensive backs have done a great job at matching up with receivers. A staple of Pagano’s schemes in the past. Amidst it all, his infectious enthusiasm is hard to miss.
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This has some people concerned about the offense. Instead, they should be thrilled about the defense. This means Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace likely got their choice for Fangio’s replacement exactly right. If anybody knew how to operate with an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, it’s Pagano. He knows what he has. The talent on that defense is elite. They have three All-Pros, a Pro Bowler and a few youngsters in the pipeline who could join them in the near future.
It’s okay if that side of the ball continues to dictate the success of the team. All the offense has to do is get better and more efficient. Pagano seems prepared to do his job.
