(670 The Score) Bears receiver Anthony Miller's future with the organization has been in question this offseason.
Miller has been shopped in trade talks, according to a report. Then came pointed comments from Bears wide receivers coach Mike Furrey last week in which he indicated the team has enough depth that it doesn't need Miller if he fails to emerge this season.
In the aftermath of those Furrey comments, Bears coach Matt Nagy offered a defense of Miller, telling the Mully & Haugh Show on Monday morning that he will get a chance to compete this offseason.
"Anthony has done everything we've asked him to do up to this point and he's really, really eager to get out here and compete," Nagy said. "He's one of the most competitive players that I've ever been around. He understands that there are some parts in his game that he needs to get a little better at."
A second-round pick of the Bears in 2018, Miller has 134 receptions for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns over three seasons. He had 49 catches for 485 yards and two touchdowns in 2020. Miller's season ended early in the Bears' loss to the Saints in the wild-card round after he was ejected for punching New Orleans cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson, which contributed to the team's frustration with him.
The Bears signed veteran receivers Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd and also selected Dazz Newsome in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, creating added competition at Miller's position.
Nagy felt Furrey's comments didn't come across as he anticipated.
"There's going to be some competition," Furrey said last week. "Now, it’s not going to be a need base. We don’t need you. We got guys that are going to produce, and you better be a pro. You better be on your details. You better do what we're asking you to do."
Entering his fourth season leading the Bears, Nagy believes the team's depth is a strength and will help lead to improvement after back-to-back 8-8 regular seasons.
"We feel like we got more depth now than we had probably in the last three years," Nagy said. "Depth creates competition.
"Let's do our job as coaches. The players do their jobs as players. Let's put this thing together and go out and win football games."