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Bears Rumors: Matt Nagy Expected to Be Fired; HC Search to Start After Week 18
January 2, 2022
The Chicago Bears are reportedly likely to fire head coach Matt Nagy at the end of the 2021 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The team is reportedly "expected to begin its search for Nagy's successor after Week 18."
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports also reported the Bears are one of three teams—along with the Vikings and Broncos—that have had "internal discussions about their head coaching situations and are preparing to conduct a search at the end of the season."
The Bears have never fired a coach midseason and don't appear ready to start with Nagy, but they still plan to make a change after the regular season.
Nagy has said he is working on the assumption he will coach the final two games of the season, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert.
Chicago hosts the New York Giants on Sunday before closing the year with a road game against the Minnesota Vikings. The 5-10 team has already been eliminated from the postseason, however, providing little opportunity to change the organization's mindset.
This will be the first season with a losing record for Nagy, who has a 33-30 overall mark across four seasons with the Bears. He won the NFL's Coach of the Year in 2018 when he led the team to a 12-4 record.
The excitement waned after back-to-back 8-8 seasons, while offensive question marks continued despite several quarterback changes.
Justin Fields has also been inconsistent in his first season after being selected 11th overall in the 2021 draft.
It's enough for the Bears to seek a fresh start in an attempt to get back into contention.