Getty Head coach Matt Nagy of the Chicago Bears
To say Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy was upset about Sunday’s events is putting it mildly. In the third quarter of the Bears’ 26-23 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints, Bears third-year wideout Javon Wims threw multiple punches at Saints safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and was ejected from the game.
What the hell is Javon Wims thinking here with a punch to the head?
Gardner-Johnson had been going at it with both Wims and Bears receiver Anthony Miller all game, and Wims finally lost his cool. After the game when speaking to the media about the incident, Nagy said he didn’t see it when it initially occurred, but he heard about it immediately.
“I totally missed it. I was looking down when I heard about it. But what I did hear is what it looked like, which is completely unacceptable. We’ve talked to him and told him that that’s not how things go here. One of Javon’s strengths is his character, who he is as a person. He’s since apologized, but that’s not … There’s no part of that in this game. Again, I still haven’t seen it, but from what I’ve heard, it’s not good. That’s not how we roll here. We’ll be talking to him.”
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Nagy Doubles Down Monday, Promises: ‘There Will Be Consequences’
Per 670 The Score’s Chris Emma, Nagy followed up his Sunday night criticism with a few more thoughts in an interview on WBBM Newsradio 780 Monday morning: “That’s not good for this game. That’s not good for kids that watch the sport of football. We’re not going to deal with that. … That’s not how we do things here. There will be consequences.”
Matt Nagy to @WBBMNewsradio, with more on Javon Wims: “That’s not good for this game. That’s not good for kids that watch the sport of football. We’re not going to deal with that. … That’s not how we do things here. There will be consequences.”
Nagy clearly wasn’t happy after Sunday’s loss, and he was undoubtedly most upset about Wims’ actions. When he was asked a non-related question, he still went back to the incident, visibly troubled that it happened at all.
“I am really, really bothered by that third-quarter incident. That bothers me. I’m being completely honest with you guys. It bothers me,” Nagy said, adding: “You know, but I’m proud of the guys that played hard. I’m proud of the guys that were selfless and tried to do everything they could to help us win.”
Bears Players Comment on the Incident … Or Don’t
For the most part, when asked, Bears players have not condoned or supported what Wims did, although some have expressed support for Wims as a person. Defensive tackle Akiem Hicks said the following after the game:
“I didn’t see it. Heard something about it. But this game of football is pretty emotional right? We’ve got a lot of things going on. Extrinsic and intrinsic. Ya know what I’m saying? … I think that I’ve lost my cool before. Ya know? It’s part of the game. The elite, and if you want to be elite, you have to be able to control some of those moments. You have to be able to put whatever emotion you’ve got going on and put it in a pocket. Because your team needs more. And knowing the character of Javon, I know that he doesn’t want to have a situation that might go sour.”
Bears quarterback Nick Foles and linebacker Roquan Smith didn’t have much to say about the subject, however. When Foles was asked whether Wims had apologized to the team, this was his response: “You know what I don’t have a comment on that question. Being honest.”
When he was asked if he had spoke to Wims, Smith’s answer was short: “No I have not.”
Monday, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that Wims told team officials that he was provoked by Gardner-Johnson spitting on him:
Gardner-Johnson has a history of antagonizing Bears players, (heck, even his own teammate punched him once, so his behavior should be examined, as well) but regardless, Wims’ actions were over the top, reckless and detrimental to the team. They will be addressed — the only question now is whether Wims will be wearing a Bears jersey for the remainder of the season.
You can watch Matt Nagy’s postgame interview below:
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Bears HC Matt Nagy Has Strong Words for WR: ‘There Will Be Consequences’