While the rest of the Chicago Bears fandom has made their feeling on Matt Nagy quite clear in recent weeks, it isn’t as clean-cut inside the locker room. Despite reports that several players inside the locker room are done with the head coach, a number of them have spoken out in his defense publicly. The most recent being safety Eddie Jackson. When asked about the madness that transpired last week about the reports Nagy might be fired, Jackson didn’t come away discouraged.
If anything he gained a measure of respect for the embattled coach. Not only did he have to face the intense pressure of a five-game losing streak and the prospect of losing his job, but also the rampant “Fire Nagy” chants that have begun popping up across Chicagoland. Jackson understands the fans are upset. They have every right to be. Still, he doesn’t think those chants are helping the situation. It is merely making it worse.
All the while, he is encouraged that Nagy continues to push forward.
This isn’t an enviable situation. The fan chants are unnecessary but also part of the reality. They are passionate about their Bears and have been losers for most of the past decade. Nagy is the man in charge. He knew what he was getting himself into when he took the job back in 2018. If you don’t win in Chicago, people are going to let you hear it. Both politely and impolitely. Either you can handle it or you can’t. To his credit, Nagy has weathered the storm better than most would.
That doesn’t change the overall situation though. Chicago is 4-7. Their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. If the NFC weren’t so mediocre this year, they might be eliminated already. The upcoming game at Soldier Field against the top-seeded Arizona Cardinals is do-or-die. If the Bears lose? The “Fire Nagy” chants will be deafening. Especially if Eddie Jackson and his defense fail to do their part in stopping Kyler Murray and that offense.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
