Getty Bears QB Nick Foles
Could Nick Foles be heading out of the Windy City? Rumors the Chicago Bears may trade the veteran quarterback have been floating around league circles for months, and after quieting down a bit, they’re starting to rumble loudly again.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Foles has a “clear connection” to the New York Jets, and could still be traded to Robert Saleh’s team in the near future.
“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,” Fowler wrote about Foles on June 9. “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.”
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Would Foles Want to Play for Jets?
Foles heading to New York isn’t likely, but anything is possible. Still, it would be odd to see the veteran want to leave the situation he’s in currently: He’s a third-string quarterback earning $4 million with Chicago.
Go Long’s Ty Dunne reported in late May that Foles had refused a trade to his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, which seems odd, as he won a Super Bowl with Philly and has a statue of himself there as a result. If Foles doesn’t want to go back to Philadelphia, where he has had the most success, would he really want to leave Chicago for a new and unfamiliar coach on a struggling team to back up rookie Zach Wilson? As the Magic 8 Ball would say: Outlook not so good.
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Foles Has Been Missing Voluntary OTAs for ‘Personal Deal’
At present, it looks like Foles will stick around in Chicago to help Andy Dalton mentor Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields. But his recent absence from voluntary team activities when both Dalton and Fields were present did raise a few eyebrows.
Here’s what Bears head coach Matt Nagy had to say about the quarterbacks room and Foles’ role in it:
Nick and I have talked and he understands going into this that Justin is going to get the 2 reps and that Nick’s going to get the 3 reps. And Nick is a true pro and understands it. … It’s just really special to see how they’re trying to help Justin out and team him how to play quarterback and how to watch film and study this offense but also Justin helping them, too, with what he sees, so it’s been really good.
When asked why Foles has been absent at some of the team’s voluntary practices, Nagy said it was for personal reasons.
“Nick’s been here every day, he’s been here the whole time. He has a personal deal that he’s working with right now. It’s all voluntary but just so everyone is aware, he’s been here every day. He’s just dealing with some personal things right now and he wasn’t here,” Nagy said.
Foles did attend a Marvel Comics event in early June around the same time as his absence from OTAs, the X-Men’s Hellfire Gala, in order to celebrate his being drawn into a comic book (not a typo), but that’s the only news he has shared on social media.
Whether he stays or goes is anyone’s guess, but if the Bears could free up $4 million in cap space by trading him, that would be highly beneficial. Do the Jets want him though? That’s the only question. We’ll know soon enough.
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