Report: Bears chairman refutes Nagy will be fired Thursday

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Bears chairman George McCaskey privately refutes Matt Nagy will be fired after Thanksgiving game

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 11/24/21

A report surfaced Tuesday that Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy was informed roughly 24 hours after his team dropped its fifth straight game to fall to 3-7 on the season that he will be fired following Thursday's matchup at the winless Detroit Lions.

Nagy and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor did their best to pour cold water over that story later in the day, and it appears the man who would make that decision is quietly telling need-to-know individuals he hasn't yet taken that step.

The Athletic's Dan Pompei tweeted Bears chairman George McCaskey told Chicago players and coaches Wednesday there is no truth to the report regarding Nagy's alleged imminent dismissal:

Source: George McCaskey addressed the Bears players and coaches today and told them there was no truth to the report that Matt Nagy will be fired after the game Thursday.
— Dan Pompei (@danpompei) November 24, 2021

Safety Tashaun Gipson went to bat for his coach on Tuesday. He commented that he believes "everybody in the locker room love playing for Nagy" and that rumors regarding the club's coaching staff weren't distracting players during the holiday week. As Michael David Smith noted for Pro Football Talk, though, McCaskey hasn't yet gone so far as to publicly declare he's not relieving Nagy of his duties before the regular-season finale on Jan. 9.

For what it's worth, the Bears have never fired a coach during a campaign.

More must-reads: