Usually, a vote of confidence for a head coach from a general manager is an ominous sign. But in the case of Bears GM Ryan Pace's glowing words for Matt Nagy, it's anything but.
Pace, who met with reporters at Halas Hall on Tuesday for the Bears' end-of-year press conference, said this season's turbulent 8-8 finish only reinforced the reasons why he's confident in Nagy's ability to lead Chicago in the years to come.
"I have extreme confidence in him as our head coach," Pace said of Nagy, "extreme confidence in him as a play-caller, and extreme confidence in him righting the ship."
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Pace described Nagy as solutions-oriented and spoke with pride about how he managed to keep the locker room together during a time when the club could've easily fractured.
Nagy's first year in Chicago went better than anyone could've predicted. He finished 2018 with a 12-4 record, an NFC North championship and was named the league's Coach of the Year. As a result, expectations for his second season were unreasonably high.
Naturally, after finishing 8-8 and experiencing a regression on offense, Nagy's come under fire. There was even speculation that he could begin the 2020 season on the hot seat.
Barring a complete meltdown next year, that won't be the case. At least, not if you take Pace at his word.
NFL
Nagy's gig is safe.
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