ClutchPoints
The Chicago Bears’ hiring of Matt Nagy in 2018 initially appeared to be the ideal move, but it quickly turned into one of the most infamous NFL head coaching tenures in recent history. Seven years later, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator is back in the rumor mill.
Since his release from the Bears, Nagy wasted no time returning to his old stomping grounds. The offensive guru returned to the Chiefs’ staff under former mentor Andy Reid, who gave him his first NFL opportunity with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008.
Nagy spent one year as the Chiefs’ quarterbacks coach before assuming his former role as offensive coordinator. Kansas City’s offense has been a well-oiled machine since, causing many to reflect on Nagy’s failed stint with the Bears through rose-colored glasses and openly question how well he would do with a second NFL head coaching opportunity.
Nagy’s second-chance plea has been bolstered by the recent success of Mike Vrabel and Dan Quinn, who have both found success in their additional opportunities. Vrabel has received overwhelming praise for his work getting the New England Patriots back on track, leaving many to wonder if Nagy would achieve similar results with the right organization.
As intriguing as it might be, Nagy’s recurring success with the Chiefs cannot overshadow his disastrous run with the Bears. Any NFL team that takes a shot on him will only suffer from a similar fate.
Sometimes, NFL coordinators can be outstanding coaches and not be head coach material. Both can be true, and that unfortunately appears to be the case with Matt Nagy.
What is established about Nagy is that he is exceptional as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator. That is all that can be certain at this stage of his career, as he has yet to prove himself in any other significant role.
Since he entered the NFL, Nagy has only strayed from Reid’s staff once. He followed Reid from Philadelphia to Kansas City and returned to the Chiefs after flaming out with the Bears. Nagy has yet to prove himself as an offensive coordinator on any staff not run by Reid, let alone as a head coach. That is not to say that he cannot do it, but that he simply has yet to prove himself in that regard.
The only time he was not with Reid, Nagy attempted to mimic everything that had made his mentor successful. It worked in year one, when the Bears went 12-4 in 2018, earning Nagy the AP NFL Coach of the Year award. However, it became obvious right away that he had no answers when Plan A stopped working and everything fell apart.
Other questions arose when Nagy, who was touted as an elite offensive guru, failed to sustain any consistency within the Bears’ offense. People wanted to give him credit for Patrick Mahomes’ development, but Nagy could not do anything with either Mitchell Trubisky or Justin Fields,...
