Until George McCaskey makes it official, nobody can say for sure that Matt Nagy will be fired after the season ends on January 9th. Still, all the signs point in this direction. The Chicago Bears have lost eight of their last nine games. They were humiliated for the second-straight week on national television. Nagy is out of answers for this team. When that happens, it’s time for a change. So how about Sean Payton?
It sounds insane upon first hearing it. Payton is unquestionably one of the best head coaches in the NFL. Somebody who likely ends up in the Hall of Fame after he retires. However, he remains at the helm of the New Orleans Saints. The team has made the playoffs consistently the past few years. Is he even a remote possibility? Albert Breer of The MMQB made it sound that way when asked on The Herd about the Bears’ options for Nagy replacements.
“So I think there are two roads they can take, and I’m assuming Matt’s going to be gone. One road is the obvious one. You’ve got a young quarterback. Bring in an offensive guy to develop him. So I think you look at a couple of different guys. Do you hold onto the general manager Ryan Pace if he convinces you that he can land Sean Payton? I think that’s one name to just sort of keep an eye on. I don’t know if Sean would want to leave New Orleans but if I’m the Bears I’m at least asking.”
It’s interesting for a number of reasons.
This isn’t the first time Breer has dropped Payton’s name. The fact he is bringing it up multiple times at least hints at the possibility the head coach is gettable. Then there are the connections to consider. Payton grew up in Naperville, Illinois, and went to college at Eastern Illinois. As a player, he spent time with the Arena league Chicago Bruisers and then the Bears as a replacement quarterback in 1987. He has deep roots in the area.
The big part of this scenario is Ryan Pace. Plenty of Bears fans want him gone as GM. One winning record in seven seasons doesn’t cut it in their eyes. However, it’s important to remember Pace has a strong relationship with Payton. The two worked together for years in New Orleans. The head coach would want somebody he’s familiar with in the front office if he were to make the jump. Chicago has Pace, and most importantly they have an even bigger lure. A quarterback.
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Is keeping Pace worth the sacrifice if it puts Payton and Justin Fields together? Yes. Yes it is.
Sean Payton is everything the Bears could want for Fields
The man is widely considered one of the best offensive minds of his general. A true quarterback guru. Most of course remember his lengthy work with Drew Brees in New Orleans, shattering passing records and winning a Super Bowl in 2009. Yet it goes beyond that. Payton got Kerry Collins to a Super Bowl in 2000 as well, throwing a career-best 22 touchdowns along the way.
Then this season Sean Payton has arguably done the best work of his career. Jameis Winston had 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions in seven games prior to tearing his ACL. Then Trevor Siemian had nine touchdowns with just three interceptions in four games. All of this despite the Saints not having their star wide receiver Michael Thomas. The coach is a wizard.
Try to imagine what he could do with Fields.
He’d be Winston with way better mobility. There is no telling how much better the young QB could get under Payton’s watchful eye. Is it even possible? That depends on his current situation in New Orleans. The Saints have a quarterback problem and continue to deal with major salary cap issues. If he doesn’t want to stick around for that, he might ask for a chance to go elsewhere. While that would make for a complicated situation, the end result could be worth almost any sacrifice for the Bears.
