NEWSLETTER
At every possible turn, Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy has said Andy Dalton is his QB1.
But, today, when Nagy was asked if there was anything Justin Fields could do to start in Week 1, Chicago’s coach danced around the question like he was an extra in a Chris Brown music video. And when Nagy made attempts to directly address the question with words, he didn’t deliver a forceful “no” as he did last time.
“For Justin, for Andy, for Nick (Foles), their job is to go into this thing and just dominate. And then, for all of us, make it as hard as you possibly can at every position,” Nagy said. “We don’t even get into that part of it, we just say listen, go play ball, be the best you can be. Trust me, just like everyone here and in this city, I want Justin Fields to be electric. For us, we’re worried about today.”
This is a different tone than when Nagy answered Cris Collinsworth’s question about Fields playing in Week 1 by saying: “No. Andy is our starter. Again, I can’t predict anything. You know how it goes. There are so many things that can happen between today and that Week 1, but Andy is our starter and Justin is our No. 2 and we’re going to stick with this plan.”
And it’s not the firm answer Nagy gave to ESPN Chicago broadcaster Marc Silverman’s question seeking clarification to whether Fields could win the job, saying: “Whether it’s clarification that he can’t win it, yes. Andy Dalton is our starter.”
So, you’re telling me there’s a chance? Maybe? Possibly? Perhaps?
We’re probably a ways away from Nagy having a change of heart when it comes to QB1. But he didn’t quite shoot down the side of Fields starting in Week 1. And with training camp practices set to start this week, plus preseason games on the horizon, an avenue exists for a performance-based changing of plans. Buckle up, friends. We might have a quarterback competition on our hands at some point in the near future.
We’ll dive into more of what Nagy and GM Ryan Pace said today. In the meantime, check out the presser in its entirety below:
GM Ryan Pace & Coach Nagy are meeting with the media at Halas Hall. @Hyundai | #BearsCamp https://t.co/m6Q8Wheuoe
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 27, 2021
