Bears Safety Eddie Jackson Takes Chicago Fans to Task for How They’ve Treated Matt Nagy: ‘It’s Not Helping the Situation’
Article Highlights:
- Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson isn’t happy with the fans who booed head coach Matt Nagy
- The Bears are apace to miss the postseason for the second time in Nagy’s four seasons
- Jackson and teammates need to start preparing to play for a new coaching staff in 2022
When the best things that Chicago Bears fans can look forward to down the stretch is booing an embattled head coach and watching a rookie quarterback struggle in adjusting to the NFL, we feel it’s safe to say that this season hasn’t gone how they’ve likely hoped.
Then again, it certainly appears Chicago sports fans have enjoyed booing Nagy, the oft-criticized head coach whose seat has only gotten warmer throughout the season. Bears star safety Eddie Jackson hears the outrage, and although he understands it, he’s not happy with the fans sharing their negativity.
Eddie Jackson took Bears fans to task for booing the players and head coach Matt Nagy
At 4-7, the Bears need a miracle to even finish with a winning record — and that might not even be enough to save Nagy, who is 32-27 as of publication. It is widely expected that Chicago will fire the fourth-year head coach either before or immediately after the regular season ends.
Jackson, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is well aware that the fans want change. The Soldier Field crowd chanted “Fire Nagy” after a Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and showered the team with boos.
However, Jackson wants fans to take a deep breath and ease up. When he met with reporters on Monday, Nov. 29, the veteran defensive back said the team hates hearing those chants and that fans need to understand the messages don’t help.
“The frustration, long-time Bears fans have been going through this for a long, long time, so I understand it, but it’s not helping the situation. I feel like it’s just making it worse. We just continue to rally around each other and look upon ourselves to get this turned around and block out all the outside noise.”
Eddie Jackson
Chicago hosts the dangerous Arizona Cardinals, who currently have the NFL’s best record at 9-2, in Week 13. Something tells us those chants won’t be going away if the Bears fail to pull off the upset.
Chicago fans have spent the fall booing Nagy and his family
One might understandably think that the “Fire Nagy” chants are contained to Soldier Field. If you believe that’s the case, then you don’t know Chicago sports fans.
Bulls fans have serenaded the United Center with the chant in recent weeks. Those attending the University of Illinois’ men’s basketball showdown with Notre Dame on Nov. 29 also shared the message.
Things have gotten so heated that the chant broke out at a high school football game featuring Nagy’s son, Brayden, on Saturday, Nov. 20. Cary-Grove High School principal Neil Lesinski apologized after his team’s fans chanted “Fire Nagy” in a 40-7 victory over Brayden and his Lake Forest High teammates on Saturday, Nov. 20.
“I want to assure our community that the chant was not acceptable nor appropriate and was immediately addressed by administration at the game,” Lesinski wrote in a statement.
Jackson and the Bears need to start preparing for life after Nagy
Jackson might not want to hear the chants, but Chicago sports fans have proven they’re in no rush to stop. The longer the Bears keep Nagy, the more his players should expect to hear those two words repeatedly.
As of publication, Nagy remained the Bears’ head coach, and the team had not commented on his status beyond this year. The NFL teams who don’t make a midseason change typically fire their head coach either on the final Sunday of the regular season — that would be Jan. 12, 2022, for those counting — or in the days immediately after.
CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora recently reported the Bears are expected to consider three prominent offensive coordinators — Buffalo’s Brian Daboll, New England’s Josh McDaniels, and Tampa Bay’s Bryon Leftwich — to replace Nagy. Only McDaniels, who went 11-17 with the Denver Broncos from 2009-10, has been a head coach before.
If all goes to plan, one of those three will finally lead the Bears back to relevancy and the postseason. If not, it won’t be long before the Chicago faithful trade Nagy’s name for his replacement.
Like Sportscasting on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @sportscasting19.
