It was a whirlwind of a day for the Chicago Bears at Halas Hall on Tuesday, where head coach Matt Nagy was the center of speculation following a report that he was informed he would be fired after Thursday’s game against the Detroit Lions.
While Nagy refuted the report and Bears players and coaches handled the chaos well, a report from Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune indicated that the writing is on the wall for Nagy, who “offered little to make players believe he will be around much longer,” leaving them “dismayed” at the organization’s lack of direction.
Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune also noted a source told him the Bears’ “remarkable clumsy” handling of the situation at Halas Hall Tuesday likely didn’t go unnoticed by those around the NFL.
One source described the Bears brass’s handling of today as “remarkably clumsy,” noting that an organization’s professionalism in moments like these is judged at least somewhat leaguewide by other coaches, execs, etc.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) November 24, 2021
While there’s been plenty of focus on Nagy’s imminent future, which looks to get more dismal with each passing hour, Bears fans pointed the blame in the direction of ownership — notably chairman George McCaskey and president Ted Phillips — for their handling of the entire mess.
Just a complete mess of a day at Halas Hall today for the #Bears. Good lord.
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) November 24, 2021
This needs attention. When the time comes for a new coach (and possibly GM), how will candidates feel about the Bears knowing their front office can't properly handle these types of situations. https://t.co/7VGhnu2suD
— Brendan Sugrue (@BrendanSugrue) November 24, 2021
Today ranks with the day Aaron Kromer cried at a press conference among the weirdest days I can remember being a Bears fan
— Jeremy Layton (@JeremyLayt0n) November 24, 2021
Just my take but this Nagy situation feels too far gone. At this point, why not just pull the plug & get on with it?
I can’t even imagine how distracted & overall disastrous this team is going to look on Thursday at this point. Which is saying something because it’s been bad.
— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) November 24, 2021
Biggs, who’s probably the most tuned-in guy on the #Bears beat, with some damning evidence that suggests Nagy’s a goner. No coach cancels team meetings after huddling up with ownership just two days before a game unless… it’s over. Such a strange sequence of events pic.twitter.com/E9gc2Z7yP9
— Bryan Perez (@BryanPerezNFL) November 24, 2021
Two men, who know nothing about football, run the Chicago #Bears football club. pic.twitter.com/laLSj2ghY2
— Silvy (@WaddleandSilvy) November 24, 2021
This reads like, after his presser, Nagy was informed that Thursday is his last game. Not saying that's what the report here is – just saying that's how the situation reads. Messy. https://t.co/hL1ABXHaW4
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 24, 2021
Has #Bears brass ever not handled things clumsily? Seems like today was on brand for them. https://t.co/VynwsLBPlZ
— Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. (@wiltfongjr) November 24, 2021
A report that the #Bears didn't want out led to team meetings canceled, Nagy meeting with brass and a potential earlier firing? This franchise is something, man.
— Bear Report (@BearReport) November 24, 2021
It starts at the top.
George & Ted have made Nagy look like a sympathetic figure after days of “Fire Nagy” chants. Only the #Bears. https://t.co/kQ4wIO1KC5— Silvy (@WaddleandSilvy) November 24, 2021
This is why you completely clean house of every putz in this organization. https://t.co/rKvE3Yw0kH
— KodsPlan (@KodsPlan) November 24, 2021
You don’t need a source to tell you. The Bears ownership messed up again. When we say on our show they’re nothing but bean counters, we mean it. This isn’t a part of the business they understand or can handle. https://t.co/Z9kxNTo90O
— Niko&ChrisPostGame (@NandCBearsCast) November 24, 2021
All the more reasons the McCaskey’s gotta go. Nagy and Pace are bad at at their jobs but their professionals. The rest of the Bears org is amateur hour https://t.co/Bpcl8SLRQ1
— Matt Philbin (@NFLDRAFTBLOG) November 24, 2021
George McCaskey and Ted Phillips are not fit to run an organization. They're a bunch of doofuses who don't know what they're doing. https://t.co/c6DjoxPTqK
— Aalap Desai (@ADesai410) November 24, 2021
No one should really be shocked by it. The org. is a joke and has been for some time. Ownership has no clue, they’ve hired friendly stooges who just smile and nod but also screw up a lot because they’re in positions far greater than the skills they have. This is nothing new. https://t.co/pul9tRkAXB
— Bennie Mac- Ham Supporter (@BenMcC1908) November 24, 2021
The McCaskeys are gonna sell the team this offseason. They just have no clue what they’re doing #Bears https://t.co/GWAkbHe5jL
— Forever Mired in Mediocrity (@WSox14) November 24, 2021
Fire Ted on down. #bears https://t.co/Umj1qWQnKT
— Jermaine Horton (@JermaineHorton) November 24, 2021
The most clueless franchise in sports https://t.co/sgf0SxTDMj
— Shane (@shanefer1) November 24, 2021
@WaddleandSilvy this is what you talk about all the time, that the Bears are a joke with situations like today. https://t.co/JBKot8wT74
— coletamarri ☭ (@coletamarri) November 24, 2021
George has a lot to explain https://t.co/E4Khxt5gUt
— jeff (@cubsfan) November 24, 2021
The.
Bear.
Are.
A.
Mess.— Bears Nation (3-7) (@BearsNationCHI) November 24, 2021
Your job as an organization is to do everything possible to help your team win each week. The Bears did not do that today. 😔
— Patrick Mannelly (@PatrickMannelly) November 24, 2021
Great reporting here by Biggsy. Halas Hall is Dysfunction Junction … https://t.co/bOFyUdbBWI
— Mike Berman (@MikeBermanNBC) November 24, 2021
And why didn't George McCaskey address the press and lambaste the untrue scoop from a Pulitzer-Prize winner? Because it must be true. The reputation of the #Bears will be further diminished — something that didn't seem possible. https://t.co/GxcZEv5TJC
— David A. F. Sweet (@davidafsweet) November 24, 2021
One of the most dysfunctional organizations in all of sports. Truly unbelievable stuff. https://t.co/L8Uhw2Sixx
— josh (@joshuaTshaw) November 24, 2021
This reads like, after his presser, Nagy was informed that Thursday is his last game. Not saying that's what the report here is – just saying that's how the situation reads. Messy. https://t.co/hL1ABXHaW4
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 24, 2021
Also Bears making themselves so unattractive given the disfunction https://t.co/9hJLTk5L5j
— Joel Braunold (@braunold) November 24, 2021
Also Bears making themselves so unattractive given the disfunction https://t.co/9hJLTk5L5j
— Joel Braunold (@braunold) November 24, 2021
The @ChicagoBears are a full on dumpster 🔥. https://t.co/7LH3NDFi95
— Andy (@WWELiteBrite) November 24, 2021
So this means he's fired? Lol this organization cant even do what I've wanted them to do for the longest time the right way. https://t.co/j7rx7jhVIS
— Akhil Sharma (@AkhilDaRealDeal) November 24, 2021
Seriously, why do the @ChicagoBears have to make things more difficult than they need to be?! If they have made the decision to fire Matt Nagy, just do it. Don't drag it out. That's not fair to anyone and it makes them look as incompetent as we all know they are. https://t.co/4Lp1LpyxX1
— TW (@Tylow237) November 24, 2021
It’s impressive how the organization keeps looking worse and worse https://t.co/Zp6GzWnN7b
— Kevin Sullivan (@KevinSullivan9) November 24, 2021
This whole incident shows how bad the Bears organization is. A rumor about the coach being dismissed is completely ignored by the organization. If it is true, why keep Nagy around for Thursday? They will look really bad to potential hires regardless of how this ends. https://t.co/HNgbVJi4A1
— John Neuenkirchen (@JohnNeuenkir) November 24, 2021
Nagy Pace and Ted Phillips gotta go after this year man fr this is just bad https://t.co/AXC0qUn0yP
— Bobby K (@WhyGod09) November 24, 2021
Nagy stressed repeatedly at his presser today that he wouldn’t let his future interfere w/ preparing for Detroit. A few hours later he canceled afternoon & evening meetings. WTF is going on up there?! 🐻⬇️🚽 https://t.co/YR9QjNsJYy
— Silvy (@WaddleandSilvy) November 24, 2021
Canceled all afternoon meetings two days before a Thursday divisional game. Totally normal, nothing to see here https://t.co/ozsq2pHeB6
— Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@PFF_Brad) November 24, 2021
already a terribly-run organization if he IS fired on friday
but if he ISN’T fired after all this… https://t.co/UePzePLhfv
— sam (@srobb39) November 24, 2021
Today’s Halas Hall tension and confusion is only the start of a tumultuous stretch in a regular season that still has 47 days.
Vibe across many circles: the Bears really stepped in it today, starting at the very top and may not truly realize how much poop is on their shoes.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) November 24, 2021
