Bears HC Matt Nagy has been persistent that Andy Dalton, not the 11th overall pick Justin Fields, will be the starter come week 1. And Nagy had an interesting quote from NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo to justify why.
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The Bears brought in veteran QB Andy Dalton for the 2021 season. Last season with the Cowboys, Dalton started in nine games after Dak Prescott went down with a season-ending injury. Going 4-5 as a starter, Dalton completed 64.9% of his passes for 2,170 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
But many among NFL circles believe Fields will be a more promising prospect. The Ohio State alum torched defenses during his 2 years in Columbus, Ohio on his way to 2 Playoff appearances, one of which ended in a National Championship appearance.
Nagy has said that “Andy is our starter” on numerous occasions this offseason, despite the fact that fans and even the Hall of Fame HC Mike Ditka are rooting for the rookie already.
Matt Nagy says Giannis Antetokounmpo is a reason why Justin Fields is not starting
When asked about evaluating Justin Fields’ progress, Matt Nagy referenced this recent answer from Giannis Antetokounmpo and the importance of focusing on today. Nagy loved the quote so much that he said it is going up in all 4 of his kids’ bedrooms.
“When you focus on the past, that’s your ego. … And when I focus on my future, that’s my pride. … I kinda focus in the moment, you know? In the present. And that’s humility. That’s being humble. That’s not setting no expectations. hat’s going out there and enjoying the game, competing on a high level.”
Matt Nagy referenced the quote when answering a barrage of questions about Justin Fields and his starting spot. Nagy paraphrased it when discussing his team’s mindset, saying, “You can’t worry about the past. You can’t worry about the future. We’re going to worry about right now, today. That’s all we can do.”
Nagy was also asked if Fields can convince him to become the starter.
“For Justin, for Andy, for Nick (Foles), their job is to go into this thing and do exactly what you just said, is just dominate,” Nagy told the media. “For all of us, to make it as hard as you possibly can at every position. We don’t even get into that part of it. We just say listen, go play ball. Be the best you can be.
“Trust me, just like everybody in here and our city, I want Justin Fields to be electric. That’s what we all want. But for us, we’re worried about today. That’s all we can do.”
Despite his persistence about Andy Dalton starter, Nagy has been very complimentary of Fields and his progress through camp. But one should not expect Fields to start anytime soon come Week 1 of the NFL season.
