Nick Foles might be the third-string backup for the Chicago Bears at quarterback. Yet that hasn’t stopped the longtime veteran from having a voice in the locker room. He has fast become somebody teammates respect. Especially when it comes to the situation regarding the offense. Even as far back as last season, he was spotted having animated conversations with head coach Matt Nagy whenever the unit was struggling. It wasn’t hard to surmise he had strong feelings about its overall ineffectiveness so far this year.
That continued to hold true this past week when the veteran was spotted on the Bears sideline in Cleveland mouthing the words “offense just isn’t working” to Andy Dalton. So when the head coach brought players together for a meeting early this week, he opened the floor for them to speak their minds on what they think needs to change in order for things to improve. According to Justin Fields, Foles wasted no time speaking up.
No doubt he wasn’t letting that opportunity slip past him.
This entire situation reeks of desperation. Nagy is in pure survival mode. His team is 1-2 and fading fast in the NFC standings. His offense is the worst in the NFL. Nothing is working and the defense just isn’t able to carry the load as they have in years past. They don’t have the horses for that anymore and the schedule is too strong. This team needs to start scoring more points.
Hearing the players’ opinions on this matter might be a way for him to grasp what exactly isn’t working. Maybe it’s the continued lack of balance. Maybe it’s him calling plays. Whatever it is, nothing bodes well for Nagy and the rest of the coaching staff if this trend continues. A lot of people are getting fired by the end of December at the latest.
Nick Foles is proving again he’s all about the team
It would be so easy for him to keep his mouth shut. He is the third-string QB. In a normal hierarchy, his word would mean little. However, being a former Super Bowl MVP and having started games in this offense? He felt compelled to confront Nagy about what isn’t working. Both for the good of the team and for Justin Fields who will likely get his second start on Sunday against Detroit.
Nick Foles “offense just isn’t working” pic.twitter.com/do0Uj8HQco
— Cody B (@Cody_ChiBears) September 26, 2021
Don’t forget a lot of people have clamored for him to get traded too. Nick Foles himself even admitted some frustration at being in his current position. It’s a testament to the person he is that he’ll still take his chance to help this team win football games. This is why he has lasted in the league for so long.
It will be interesting to see if Nagy takes his words to heart.
The head coach hasn’t revealed who is starting on Sunday even though all signs point to Fields. He also won’t say who is calling plays, whether it’s still him or offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. The truth is fans won’t know if Foles’ words had an effect until they see how the offense operates in the game. Differences should be noticeable right away.