Bears' Matt Nagy Supports NFL Taunting Penalties: There Are Young Kids Watching Games

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy said he's in favor of the NFL's controversial decision to emphasize enforcement of taunting penalties during the 2021 season.

Nagy explained he believes there's a difference between having fun or showing emotion after a big play and crossing a line toward showing up the opponent, and it's important to send the right message to kids watching the game in that regard, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk:

"People watch, and people want to see a little bit of respect and a little bit of doing things the right way. It doesn't mean you can't have fun, but there's young kids right now that are watching games, and what happens is you go to one of these sporting events and you might see some imitation going on that's taking it over the top. I'm a firm believer in respect and just kids growing and watching, and we have a huge platform as leaders. Players and coaches. Let's understand what the rules are, let's do it the right way. Let's still have fun—these guys are still having fun and not taunting. You can still have a great time. But let's stay within the rules as we do it."

The Bears were thrust into the taunting spotlight after linebacker Cassius Marsh received a 15-year penalty for his celebration after sacking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Week 9.

Marsh did his typical spinning jump-kick after the sack, but then briefly stared down the Steelers' sideline. Afterward, there was contact between the Bears defender and referee Tony Corrente, who was reaching for his flag to call the penalty.

"On my way to the sideline, I got hip-checked by the ref. It's pretty clear," Marsh told reporters. "If I was to do that to a ref or even touch a ref, we get kicked out of the game and possibly suspended and fined. I just think that that was incredibly inappropriate."

Marsh, who's appealed a $5,972 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct as a result of the taunting call, continued to question the penalty on social media:

Nagy didn't reference the linebacker directly in his comments about the taunting rule, but he took responsibility for not doing a better job of informing his team about the enforcement standards, per Smith.

"It's our job to do it the right way," the Bears coach said. "You've got to understand the rule. I need to do my job to teach that to the players so that they understand it, and understand these are the rules. We can't change that."

Chicago returns from its Week 10 bye on Sunday when it hosts the Baltimore Ravens at Soldier Field.