Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky has followed the Chicago Bears situation closely for over a year now. He’s well aware of the situation with Mitch Trubisky and hasn’t been afraid to be vocal about it. He’s been of the opinion that head coach Matt Nagy hasn’t done enough to adjust the scheme to what the young QB does best. That being said, he also understands a change is possible in the near future.
So if given a choice, is there a QB out there who can help solve the Bears’ problem? Yes. While speaking on ESPN’s GET UP, the panel was discussing the unusual circumstances regarding the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback situation. Specifically Nick Foles and his suddenly bloated contract. Orlovsky feels it’s best for him to stay put. That said, if the Jags are intent on trading that contract away, there is only one obvious team for him to go to.
“The ideal team to call the Jacksonville Jaguars for a trade is the Chicago Bears. It’s a great fit for them schematically, but it’s also a great fit for a guy who knows his best role is being that mentor, that backup quarterback that helps a young player play as good as he possibly can…So if I’m the Chicago Bears and there’s any truth to this, that’s my #1 call.”
Dan Orlovsky isn’t wrong but ignored the logistics
What he says makes plenty of sense. Foles has ties to no fewer than four coaches on the Bears’ offensive staff including Nagy himself. They know him better than any QB who might be available this offseason. One of them was right by his side when he won the Super Bowl in 2017 in John DeFilippo. So if any staff understood what they were getting in the 31-year old, it’s Chicago. So in that context, Orlovsky is correct.
However, he didn’t offer any solutions on how to make this happen.
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Foles’ contract is a big problem. It carries just over $21 million against the salary cap in 2020. Considering the Bears have $26 million at most? This is not a financially ideal scenario for them. They would either have to free up a lot more space or work out a deal with Jacksonville where they can eat part of the deal to lower the cap hit. This is why many think the Jaguars would have to throw in a draft pick as well to make such a deal work.
It’s not impossible, but it is difficult. Maybe not worth the trouble from Pace’s perspective.
