LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- As head coach of the Bears, Matt Nagy prides himself on maintaining the collective pulse of his team and controlling what he can in a challenging position.
Never had Nagy's job been more difficult than last week, when he was sent into isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 – and thus forced to watch from afar as the Bears lost 33-22 to the 49ers at Soldier Field on Sunday.
After testing positive for the virus on Oct. 25, Nagy went into isolation at a hotel. He returned to Halas Hall on Tuesday after producing two negative tests within a 24-hour span, the necessary clearance from the COVID-19 protocols.
Nagy was part of the Bears' game-planning efforts last week through Zoom conferencing but missed the in-person communication between his coaches and players.
"A lot of sitting on the couch and then able to just Zoom all the time," Nagy said. "I got Zoom and it's good it saved me. But I'm kind of done with it."
Nagy felt "pretty good" during his COVID-19 bout, he said. The Bears (3-5) are currently riding a three-game losing streak in a season that has become increasingly challenging for Nagy. That included a disappointing performance at home against the 49ers on Sunday, when the Bears squandered a halftime lead and surrendered 24 second-half points.
Nagy was with the Bears virtually the entire week, one click away from each position group meeting and still able to watch practice live through a tablet on the field. He was able to study the film like normal, break down tendencies from tape and do his job from afar.
But league rules require Nagy to be cut off from his coaches and players during the game. He sent rookie quarterback Justin Fields and others text messages before kickoff and watched the game like a fan, only knowing what play was coming by each formation or motion.
For Nagy, watching the Bears' loss from a hotel room was one of the most excruciating aspects of being away from his team.
"I just sat there and I was just like nervous the whole time," Nagy said. "I didn't think I was going to be nervous. But I was more nervous than normal. That's just how it was. I had no idea how it was going to go.
"It was different. Really, really weird."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
