ARob: Nagy never reached out for exit meeting after 2020 originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
As the Bears move forward with a new front office and head coach, more details are coming out about Matt Nagy’s tenure leading the team. Earlier this month there were reports of friction between the coach and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. That included a moment where Nagy ditched a meeting with Trubisky following the 2019 season. Now, it’s come to light that Trubisky wasn’t the only one stood up by his former head coach.
On Steve Smith Sr.’s “Cut It Up” podcast, Allen Robinson revealed Nagy also failed to meet with him, this time following the 2020 season.
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“It wasn’t that I didn’t talk to him, we didn’t talk,” Robinson said on the podcast. “I’m gonna say, ‘We didn’t talk,’ because from the time the season ended, on the plane after the Saints game, the following 24 to 48 hours, there’s some sort of exit meetings. For us, because of COVID, that was supposed to be scheduled with the head coach and management, or however they were coordinating that, via Zoom. Talked to the receivers coach, talked to equipment, everybody else, few days go by, no Zoom link. Week go by, no Zoom link.
“I was a pending free agent at that point. I didn’t know which direction they were wanting to go, either way or not. So for me, I’m waiting for that exit meeting so we can talk about this thing. Like, what do you all see, or think, in the foreseeable future, just to give me an idea. So for me if it’s supposed be a Zoom link sent out to me, cool. Alright, I’m waiting for that Zoom link so we can chop it up and see what’s up. Even from a football side, from how do we improve next year? A week go by, no Zoom link. Two weeks, no Zoom. Now January, we’re into February, nope.”
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Smith Sr. pressed Robinson, asking why he didn’t text his coach or GM to check in with them. Robinson said that since he never heard from anyone at Halas Hall, he just assumed the team was moving on without him.
“Up until an hour before the franchise tag deadline, I thought I was going to be a free agent,” Robinson said. “I didn’t know if they wanted me to continue to lead. So for me, I wasn’t gonna call them and ask them, ‘Do you all want me toー like, what’s up? What’s your plan? Do you want me to lead?’ Because to me, it felt like their message was clear. It wasn’t like I said I was going to call this person and didn’t. To me, I didn’t know if they wanted me to lead or not, and once the time progresses, I never get that Zoom link. Me and coach never get to chop it up.”
It’s possible this was a misunderstanding. The message with a Zoom link may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Regardless, Robinson never heard from Nagy, or anyone else about an exit meeting, and it sounded like that surprised him. Prior to that point, he said he had a great relationship with Nagy.
“This is my guy,” Robinson said about Nagy. “You know? From day one.
“When I say great, I mean as far as concepts that we were running, concepts that he may have seen me run in Jacksonville, or certain things as far as, how can we make this thing get better and how can we be better? Constantly. That was the focus. What are you seeing here, or what are you seeing there? Certain plays. Even if we’re in a little rut as an offense, or as a team, we’re still talking, ‘How do you feel about this? How do you feel about that?’ So the communication had always been there.”
It was no secret that Robinson didn’t want to play under the franchise tag. He made it abundantly clear all offseason. Add in the sudden lack of communication with his head coach, and it’s no wonder Robinson had a disappointing 2021 season.
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