The Chicago Bears are beginning their march to training camp now as summer arrives. OTAs are wrapping up and mandatory minicamps loom later this month. After that, it will be a month-long wait until July 31st when the team gathers in Lake Forest to get those pads on. Even so, the futures of some players on this roster remain uncertain. Not just the bottom-dwellers clinging to spots either. A few noteworthy vets could be gone under the right circumstances as well. Nick Foles is one of them.
Typically, the Bears have carried two quarterbacks on the main roster into a season with an emergency third guy on the practice squad. This season could be a rare exception. Foles’ contract is at such a point where cutting him is almost impossible. So the only way the Bears could get out from under it is via a trade. Thus far their attempts at this were met with failure. It looks like the veteran could be stuck on the roster as their #3 behind Andy Dalton and Justin Fields for this year.
That is unless something breaks in the next couple of months.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN indicated that remains a strong possibility. He listed Foles as one of a handful of players who could be traded soon. He pinpointed the New York Jets as a team worth watching. Foles has ties to GM Joe Douglas and the team has no backups with experience behind #2 overall pick Zach Wilson. New York has more than enough cap space to handle Foles’ contract and a boatload of draft picks next year.
“Paying a third-string quarterback $4 million in guarantees is tough for the cash-strapped Bears, and there’s a clear connection to the New York Jets.
GM Joe Douglas was with Foles in Philly. The Jets have zero NFL experience in their quarterback room. It’s uncertain whether Foles actually wants to go to New York, but don’t be surprised if New York looks into this one.”
The Jets media are certainly doing their part to make this happen. They’ve been watching practices up to this point and one thing is clear. The backup situation behind Wilson looks as bad on the field as it does on paper. With few appetizing options on the free agent market, a trade for Foles sounds more appealing by the day.
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Nick Foles situation should get clearer by training camp
It is possible the Jets are using these OTAs and mandatory minicamps as an evaluation period. A way to gauge what they really have at every position. Then they’ll have a full month until training camp to decide if they want to make a move for an upgrade. That is why action should be expected towards the end of July. If New York is hoping to add that veteran presence, they’ll want to do it before the 31st.
Nick Foles hasn’t been around at Bears OTAs to this point. Head coach Matt Nagy said it has to do with a personal matter. However, it’s fair to wonder if the team might be keeping him off the field to protect him from some freak injury in case the trade market heats up. That probably isn’t quite true but right now it feels like the team is looking to move him out more than keep him if possible.
If it doesn’t happen?
There is no reason to feel bad about it. The Bears will end up having the deepest quarterback room in the entire NFL. A former three-time Pro Bowler, the 11th overall pick in the draft, and a former Super Bowl MVP. That isn’t too bad. Especially given how swiftly injuries can strike a position.