The Chicago Bears had a lot of doubters when they traded for Nick Foles back in March. What in the world were they thinking? Not only did they take on much of his hefty contract from the Jacksonville Jaguars. They also gave up a 4th round pick to make the deal happen. It was the epitome of bad NFL business. Especially when someone like Cam Newton was available for pennies.
Things reached a boiling point for many when Foles failed to unseat Mitch Trubisky in the quarterback competition during training camp. What was the point of the trade then? The Bears remained undeterred. They felt they had a quality QB in their mix. If and when his opportunity came, the 31-year old would take advantage.
Five weeks later, here we are. Foles relieved Trubisky in the third game, led a furious 16-point 4th quarter comeback in Atlanta. Then after a tough outing against the Colts, he sparked a huge upset of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football.
Suddenly the Bears are 4-1, leading to the big question.
With Foles under center, is this team capable of winning a Super Bowl? Analyst Max Kellerman was asked this on ESPN’s First Take. He didn’t even wait to think about it.
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“Yes. You can’t rule out a Super Bowl for the Bears. Look they’re not among my top two or three favorites to win but with Nick Foles at quarterback, if that clavicle holds up if he doesn’t get re-injured, I think they have a chance to win a Super Bowl.”
Kellerman said that the Bears have a terrible history with quarterbacks. However, whenever they’ve gotten passable play at the position, they’ve had success because they do know how to build good defenses. Foles is plenty capable of being what they need.
“What is Nick Foles? He’s an NFL average starter who when you need him most plays like a star. Believes in himself. Believes in his teammates. Guys like to play with him. He never gives up and because of that, in big moments, he has consistently been able to deliver.”
Nick Foles needs protection if he’s going to deliver
As Kellerman said, the big sticking point for many with Foles is his health. He’s never started more than 11 games in a single season. Most of that has had to do with his health. Twice he’s broken his collarbone including last year in that lost run with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The key to having success with him is keeping him upright.
That has proven difficult for the Bears so far. He’s taken quite a few hits and sacks already. The offensive line has looked overmatched at times. Things got even worse when left guard James Daniels went down with a torn pectoral. Given how often Matt Nagy loves to throw the football in this offense, Foles figures to be at risk a lot moving forward.
Can he withstand the punishment? Time will tell.