Matt Nagy warned Bears players about CJ Gardner-Johnson’s instigating

Chicago Bears wide receiver Anthony Miller was ejected from Sunday’s NFC Wild Card game after punching Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. That alone is enough to frustrate Bears coach Matt Nagy, but he’ll be even angrier after it was one of his points of emphasis during the week.

Nagy said after the game that he spent time during the week focusing on Gardner-Johnson’s instigation tactics to try to ensure that none of the Bears would get roped in. The coach made clear he was frustrated that it happened anyway.

“We spent time literally showing and explaining a particular player’s actions in games and teaching it,” Nagy said when asked about Gardner-Johnson, via J.J. Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago. “It’s something where our guys, we all gotta understand, we gotta be stronger and we can’t have that happen.”

Miller’s ejection was pretty obvious on tape. It comes on the heels of Javon Wims also taking the bait earlier in the season. Nagy has to be absolutely furious that his warnings went unheeded. One wonders if Miller, a former second-round pick who hasn’t done much at the NFL level, might end up in the doghouse — or worse — because of it.