One thing is for sure. The Chicago Bears quarterback competition is one of those things you just can’t pick. Nobody knows for sure who is the favorite to win. Part of this is because the two players involved, Nick Foles and Mitch Trubisky, appear even. Another is the crazy nature of this offseason. COVID-19 has made it impossible to get a proper gauge on where either guy stands.
Head coach Matt Nagy has stated over and over again that it’s a wide open battle. May the best man win. Yet plenty of people share the opinion that this is simply a necessary spin to the media. Behind closed doors? There is an obvious favorite. Former GM Michael Lombardi is among those who believe this is the case.
He wrote about the various QB competitions across the league. When he got to the Bears, a team he’s notoriously critical of? He didn’t hold back his thoughts. Lombardi clearly doesn’t think Nagy and GM Ryan Pace have the…ahem…nether regions to actually start Foles.
“We already see the public relations machine at work, telling us Trubisky looks like a different player in terms of his conditioning. Yet, there has not been one on-the-field workout. Who cares about his conditioning? What matters more than anything is his decision-making, talent and accuracy. The faster he is forced to play, the less capable he becomes.
The Bears have too much to lose in starting Foles. They will completely lose Trubisky mentally. Plus, Foles has never been an effective opening-day starter. He is better in a relief role, coming off the bench. In his career, Foles has never played or started in all 16 games. Why change it now?”
If this were true, why trade for Nick Foles at all?
NFL insider Field Yates had a counterargument to that recently. He stated that if the Bears are that intent on giving Trubisky one more crack at the job, they wouldn’t have traded for Foles. They wouldn’t have given up a 4th round pick and $24 million in guaranteed money. That sort of move doesn’t make logical sense for a backup option. Not only is the 31-year old a viable threat, but should be considered the favorite in his mind.
It isn’t a surprise Lombardi has this perspective. He’s been one of the biggest haters of Trubisky going back a couple of years now. In his mind, the Bears should’ve pulled the plug during last season. When they didn’t, he became convinced they won’t. Not until Pace is either overruled by ownership or fired outright.
The truth is the Bears didn’t exactly have better options last year. Who could they go with if they’d benched Trubisky? Chase Daniel? He was even more limited. The team was stuck with what they had. That is no longer the case. Foles represents a viable alternative. This is why he is absolutely a threat to win the job.