Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy may have silenced the rumors of his imminent firing with a win over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, but his long-term job stability is still in question and a top Buffalo Bills assistant could be waiting in the wings if he eventually gets canned.
Prior to Thursday’s win over the Lions, there had been reports that the Bears were considering what would be a rare in-season firing for the franchise. Bears chairman George McCaskey shot down those rumors even before the win on Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
“Where it stands with Matt Nagy before today’s game vs. Detroit: George McCaskey and Ted Phillips both told him this week’s report was a ‘complete lie,’ per sources,” he reported. “Nagy has not been told by anyone he’s being fired. McCaskey spoke to team Weds, and told players what he told Nagy.”
But many still believe that Nagy will be done following the conclusion of the season, and Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll may finally get a promotion to head coach.
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Daboll a Top Candidate
As Grant Gordon of NFL.com noted, the immediate assurances of Nagy’s job security may not do much to save him. Gordon reported that Nagy’s status remains murky and he needs to keep winning to have a chance of saving his job. The Bears moved to 4-7 after the win over the Lions but remain far outside the playoff picture in the NFC and have little margin for error the rest of the way.
As NFL insider Benjamin Allbright reported, the Bills offensive coordinator could be a top candidate to succeed Nagy should he be fired. Daboll has gained a reputation as one of the league’s top coordinators, especially given the rapid improvement from Bills quarterback Josh Allen. The Bears may want to see if Daboll can replicate the success with their own high draft pick, Justin Fields, Allbright speculated.
“I don’t think Matt Nagy is going to be back next year, the ‘when’ (in-season or after) on that is really irrelevant. I believe they will be after somebody that they feel can maximize Fields (Daboll),” he tweeted.
Daboll in High Demand
After leading the Bills to one of the league’s best offenses in 2020 — with the team reaching the AFC Championship game — Daboll was seen as a top candidate for several job openings last offseason. As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle noted, he was in the running for the Texans job and at one point considered a frontrunner for the Chargers job that ultimately went to Brandon Staley.
Going into this season, SI.com’s Connor Orr named Daboll as one of the top head-coaching candidates going forward. Orr said Daboll was building his status as an “offensive mastermind” who could take advantage of defensive mismatches, and was surprised that he missed out on some of the previous opportunities.
“Having an eye for matchups that can transcend scheme is a gift few offensive coaches possess, which makes Daboll’s skill set all the more valuable,” Orr wrote. “Some in coaching circles were surprised to see him miss out on the cycle last year, especially with some obvious fits with the Texans or Chargers.”
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