NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Vikings

Bears

Bears HC Matt Nagy continues to insist his team is “turning over every stone” to fix Chicago’s struggling offense this season. That doesn’t appear to include Nagy’s duties as offensive play-caller. Nagy says regardless of that being part of why he was brought in from Kansas City to Chicago, he would let someone else call the plays if he thought it would help. 

“I have zero ego and I have zero care of giving play-call duties to somebody else,” Nagy said via NBC Sports’ John Mullin. “I really do not care about that, and if that’s what we feel like from going through it that that’s what we need to do, then I would do that, I really would.”

• The Bears worked out running backs Matthew Dayes and Jeremy McNichols on Tuesday. (Aaron Wilson)
• Chicago is reportedly signing McNichols to their practice squad. (NFLTR)

Lions

Despite a report that Lions QB Matthew Stafford‘s broken back would necessitate a six-week recovery, no one from the team has confirmed if that’s actually the case. Stafford has missed the past two games with the injury and a six-week timeline would end his season. He says however that returning to the field this year remains a possibility. 

“There’s nothing firm, set anywhere,” Stafford said on the Mitch Albom Show on WJR 760-AM, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I think for me it’s a fluid situation and just something I’m monitoring and trying to make sure that when I’m back out there I’m ready to go and obviously, I’m doing, like I said earlier, everything I possibly can to get out there as fast as I can.”

Vikings

• Per the Athletic’s Chad Graff, Vikings assistant HC Gary Kubiak said he’s not thinking about trying to be a head coach again: “No, it’s not giving me the itch. … I had my chance to be the head coach. … That’s not for me anymore.”