Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace are working on borrowed time, as a result of the team's decision to trade up to draft rookie quarterback Justin Fields this past spring.
And although it's unclear when this brain trust will split up, Chicago radio host Leila Rahimi just wants to understand why Nagy and Pace haven't been willing to discuss their contract statuses with the public.
"None of us know how long Matt Nagy's contract is, or Ryan Pace's," Rahimi told The DA Show on Tuesday. "They were incredibly defensive when it came to discussing the length of their contracts, as if this is some sort of top, very classified secret. So we're all trying to wonder, did Nagy wanting Andy Dalton have to do with the length of his contract, because he immediately gave you a chance to win more games?
"Or did Justin Fields buy them some time? Or did they already have the time to begin with? Nobody is sure with this. It's one of the biggest questions we have as a media corps in Chicago, is why this is so confusing, why this is so top-secret. Who exactly are you trying to fool? Because there aren't a lot of teams on the field Sunday who're fooled. Therefore, what's the point of this?"
Nagy wasn't on the sideline for the Bears' loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. He tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week, and was forced to watch the game from afar while special teams coordinator Chris Tabor filled in for him.
Although Fields was productive on offense -- he threw for 175 yards with two total touchdowns and 103 rushing yards -- Chicago's defense was appalling. The unit allowed a season-high 467 total yards (145 rushing) and 33 points, and failed to record a single sack or force a 49ers punt or turnover.
Chicago (3-5), losers of three straight, will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) on Monday, Nov. 8. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Bears have just a 6-percent chance to reach the playoffs.
The entire Chicago sports conversation between Rahimi and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The DA Show on Twitter @DAonCBS and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.