Nick Foles certainly had a lot to say when the Chicago Bears let him speak to the media for the first time since 2021. It was clear he’s frustrated with his new role on the team. Being the 3rd option behind Andy Dalton and Justin Fields has to sting considering he was hoisting the Lombardi trophy just over three years ago. That speaks to how far he’s fallen in such a short time. From the way he spoke, it sure sounded like he shifted some of the blame for that to head coach Matt Nagy for not doing a better job forming the offensive structure to fit his strengths.
Some people agree with his assessment. Most of them being fans or media already predisposed to not like Nagy. However, is that entirely fair? It’s not like he had control of the brutal string of injuries the offensive line suffered during that stretch. For all the praise Foles was ready to heap on Frank Reich during their time in Philadelphia, Reich had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL making life easy for him.
Was Foles totally blameless for last year?
At least one person doesn’t think so. Greg Cosell is one of the most well-respected football analysts in the business. He’s been doing it for a long time. Keep in mind he is almost never somebody who reveals inside information to slander a player. That is why what he said on the Ross Tucker Podcast was so fascinating. It seems Foles didn’t help his own case by showing up in Chicago in less-than-ideal shape.
Remember that Foles was never the most elusive quarterback to begin with. So for him to be overweight on top of that? It’s little wonder he looked like such a stationary target most of his time as the starter. That also puts his comment about being “in the best shape” of his career in better context. It seems like he knew that was a problem last year and wanted to let everybody know it isn’t anymore.
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Nick Foles can be frustrated but not self-righteous
Is he better than every third-string QB in the NFL? Absolutely. He’s also better than most current backups too. Yet the reason he is in this position can’t be solely blamed on the Bears. He had seven starts last season. More than enough time to show whether he could get this team to a proper competitive level. Instead, he went 2-5 with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
It didn’t make him look any better when Mitch Trubisky replaced him after the bye week and clearly outperformed him. Yes, the situation wasn’t the greatest for Nick Foles. Yet the reality is good quarterbacks find a way to navigate such issues. He only seemed to make it worse. This is why he has never been able to sustain a starting job.
This is not meant to bury Foles.
He is a great teammate and an even better person. However, one should not feel predisposed to take his side in this matter. He had his own role to play in how bad things went. Showing up out of shape? Yeah, that qualifies. Hopefully, he gets traded so he’ll have his chance to prove everybody wrong. Just don’t play the victim card while you’re here.
