Getty Mitchell Trubisky of the Chicago Bears will be competing for QB1 against veteran NIck Foles this year. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
New Chicago Bears quarterback Nick Foles said all the right things when he spoke with the media via conference call last week. As he has throughout his career, Foles vowed to put his ego aside when it comes to his upcoming battle with Mitchell Trubisky for the starting quarterback job. “Ultimately, our goal is make the Bears the best team,” Foles said. The veteran is also very aware of the situation he’s entering with the Bears. “Mitch has been there for several years and knows this offense really well — the Chicago version — but it’ll be a healthy competition,” Foles said. “The guy who can lead the team will lead the team.”
The relationship between the two quarterbacks seems paramount to the team’s success in 2020. Foles seems to know this, and said he has already reached out to Trubisky via telephone. “You know, the big thing was just to introduce myself, and just say I’m excited to be your teammate, excited to work with you, you know, obviously I’ve heard great things,” Foles said about his conversation with Trubisky. “Really just starting off on the right foot. Competition and all that is great, but it can be unhealthy with a team if it’s filled with a bunch of egos.”
Keeping egos in check during a quarterback competition cannot be easy, and it’s fair to wonder how Trubisky will respond to being challenged for the starting job, as it’s been his for over two seasons now. There is one player who could have a great deal of influence on the relationship between Trubisky and Foles, although he isn’t a member of the Chicago Bears — at least, not anymore.
Former Bears Backup Quarterback Chase Daniel Could Be Key
GettyFormer Chicago Bears backup quarterback Chase Daniel is friends with both Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles. (Getty images).
On his show for Chicago radio’s 670 The Score, host Laurence Holmes wondered how well Trubisky would take the role of being under the tutelage of Nick Foles. His guest, The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain, brought up an intriguing thought. “Chase Daniel might play an interesting role in this, somewhat indirectly or directly,” Fishbain noted.
Daniel has history with both current Bears’ quarterbacks, and he’s on good terms with each of them. Daniel and Foles are great friends off the field, and have been for years. Foles was the first-ever guest on “Chase Chats,” a virtual discussion show hosted by Daniel in which he chats with athletes and shares the conversations digitally via his social media platforms. Tori Foles and Hillary Daniel, their wives, get along well, and the two veteran quarterbacks have a good rapport and a long-term friendship.
Chase Chats w/ Chase Daniel feat. Nick Foles
Daniel is also very close with Trubisky. He has worked very closely with Trubisky in the quarterbacks’ room over the last two seasons, and they have always worked well together. Daniel is one of few players to know Trubisky and Foles on both a personal and professional level, and he also understands the role of backup quarterback better than most.
Foles and Trubisky seem to be off to a good start, but Daniel may also wind up being a resource the Bears or coach Matt Nagy use should the QB waters in Chicago get a bit too murky. “That could be the type of thing that helps with Foles and Trubisky,” Fishbain said of Daniel’s influence.
It’ll be interesting to see whether or not that influence will be needed.
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