Getty QB Nick Foles of the Chicago Bears is carted off of the field after being hit by Ifeadi Odenigbo of the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter of the game at Soldier Field on November 16, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Here we go again, Chicago Bears fans. After quarterback Nick Foles went down late in the fourth quarter in the Bears’ Monday night loss to the Minnesota Vikings, fans and analysts alike wondered whether the Bears would be making the move back to former starter Mitch Trubisky. Foles suffered a glute/hip injury, per head coach Matt Nagy, and he is not expected go on injured reserve or miss significant time — yet the team’s recent four-game slide coupled with Foles’ inability to spark the offense have many pushing for Trubisky to be the guy again.
When he was asked Tuesday whether he would consider another quarterback switch, Nagy answered in the affirmative.
“In complete honesty, we’ll take this bye week here and we will self scout ourselves, and we will see the ‘wheres’ and the ‘whys.’ And whatever we need to do, we will do in a lot of different areas. So, I can’t say one way or the other on anything, other than when you lose four games in a row, it’s all on the table. Everything’s out there.”
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Injuries Currently Complicating Things for the Bears
The Bears enter Week 11 on a bye, which couldn’t come at a better time. Their top two quarterbacks are both dealing with minor injuries, and the entire team could use a rest and recharge. Trubisky injured his throwing shoulder Week 8 against the Saints, and he is projected to return Week 12, when the Bears play the rival Green Bay Packers. Foles will likely be week to week, and as of now, it’s a mystery who will be under center against the Packers.
Sports medical analyst and orthopedic surgeon Dr. David J. Chao — aka the Pro Football Doc— thinks injuries at quarterback are mudding the waters in terms of who should start for the Bears:
“Nick Foles was dumped on his lower back and right posterior hip late in the game with less than a minute to go on MNF. Foles was unable to get up and was carted off the field. Certainly it was a very painful injury but we are not expecting a major issue … With the Bears on bye Week 11, we think that it will be likely that Foles can return for Week 12, though Mitch Trubisky’s situation complicates things. We have projected him for a Week 12 return as well from a subluxion to his throwing shoulder, and the team could be forced to start one of the two.”
While health could determine who the Bears start, there’s another, more fiscally-centered factor that could also make Chicago’s decision a bit easier.
Foles’ Contract Incentives Put Bears in Quandary
Per Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger, the Bears may want to ride with Trubisky the rest of the season because if they don’t, they’ll be paying Foles even more money than they already have. If Foles plays 80 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, he’ll get an additional $3 million added to his salary.
After Chicago’s Week 10 loss, Foles has played 72 percent of the team’s snaps, and if he starts moving forward, the Bears will have to shell out more money than they would if they went back to Trubisky.
Glad to hear Foles is okay, but now that the season is lost, can’t keep playing him & letting him earn incentives. Any incentive earned will also be added to his 2021 salary
– $500K at 50% of snaps ($1M total)
– $750K at 65% ($1.5M total)
– $1.5M at 80% ($3M total)
He’s at 72%
It remains to be seen what Nagy and company will do, but at this point, if Trubisky can go, it couldn’t hurt to hand him the reins one last time.
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