One thing that NFL fans have grown used to? Whenever there is a major deadline involved with something, rumors tend to get out of control. That is no different this year. If anything it’s even more out of control due to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NFL established a new requirement in negotiations with the players union. Players can opt out of playing in 2020 and have their salaries moved to 2021. Several have already done this including star Chicago Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman. Now there is a growing fear another teammate will join him. None other than new arrival Nick Foles.
Greg Williams, the radio voice of North Central College athletics and a writer for The Bears Wire announced on Twitter that a source told him the veteran QB planned to opt out of playing this season. Why? The answer is fairly simple to guess. Foles’ wife just recently gave birth to another child. That makes both her and the baby higher risks of being contaminated.
Several other players have already opted out for similar reasons. Is it true? That is hard to say.
Recent Nick Foles news conflicts with this statement
While the scenario is plausible, the evidence doesn’t seem to back it up. Foles was spotted recently working out at a local Vernon Hills high school just days before training camp. If that weren’t enough, the Bears revealed on social media that the team planned to have both he and Mitch Trubisky meet with the media on Friday the 31st. Would he agree to something like that if he were planning to opt out?
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That doesn’t feel likely.
Of course, plans can change in that space of time. The NFL still hasn’t fixed their deadline for players to make their decision because they and the NFLPA haven’t signed the actual documents. Right now the date would be August 4th but that will keep extending until the paperwork is done. So Foles has plenty of time to make this a reality.
If it does happen, then the QB job will remain in Trubisky’s hands. Much to the anger or delight of certain Bears fans. One thing is for sure, it’s becoming harder and harder to envision Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy losing their jobs next year regardless of how the team does.