Getty Nick Foles of the Chicago Bears reacts as he runs off the field after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 25-24 at Lumen Field on December 26, 2021 in Seattle, Washington.
Nick Foles will very likely be wearing a different jersey next season.
After the Chicago Bears signed perennial backup quarterback Trevor Siemian to a two-year deal, the writing was on the wall, and NFL insider Mike Garafolo confirmed on March 25 that the Bears “have explored trades” for Foles.
Relegated to third-string quarterback behind Justin Fields and Andy Dalton in 2021, Foles started just one game last year, completing 24 of 35 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown.
Foles is heading into the final year of his three-year, $24 million deal with the Bears, who have already paid him the $4 million roster bonus he’s due in 2022. Considering the potential options for the former Super Bowl-winning QB on the open market, Justin Melo of The Draft Network had a few interesting ideas on where the Bears could potentially ship Foles.
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Las Vegas Raiders Dubbed Prime Trade Partner for Foles
With former Las Vegas Raiders backup Marcus Mariota going to Atlanta to fill the void left by Matt Ryan, Derek Carr could use a suitable backup. Enter Foles.
“Carr and Mariota had a strong relationship that made Vegas’ quarterback room a healthy environment for both signal-callers to thrive in and the Raiders must search for a similar situation going forward,” Melo wrote on March 25. “Foles is typically described as an excellent teammate and it’s easy to envision him quickly developing a strong relationship and bond with Carr. He knows the AFC West well after spending the 2016 campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs.”
Foles has played for five different teams in his 10 seasons, and if he’s traded, he’ll be playing for team No. 6. Melo thinks the Raiders would be the perfect fit for the journeyman QB to land next, noting their recent addition at quarterback, Garrett Gilbert, likely won’t cut it.
“Gilbert is better suited as a third quarterback,” Melo noted, adding: “Gilbert has just 75 career passing attempts under his professional belt. Foles is a backup that’s more capable of keeping the offense running efficiently should he be forced to play. Foles is much more suited to serve as Carr’s new backup going forward.”
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Denver Broncos Could Be Dark Horse Option for Foles
Melo also pegged the Denver Broncos as an option for Foles few might see coming, noting their new acquisition at QB, Russell Wilson, could also use a quality backup:
As things stand, the 35-year-old Josh Johnson is set to serve as Wilson’s backup after signing a one-year contract with the Broncos last week. The Broncos represent the fourth franchise Johnson has been a part of in the previous 15 months and he doesn’t qualify as a lock to make Denver’s final roster out of training camp. Brett Rypien is also on the roster but has never proved capable of becoming Denver’s backup. An aforementioned previous stint in the AFC West would make Foles a nice fit in Denver.
If the Bears don’t find a trade partner for Foles — a seventh round pick should do it at this point — it’s possible the veteran signal-caller gets outright released, although that would be the more expensive and less desirable route for Chicago.
If the Bears were to release Foles before June 1, they would add $3 million in cap space, but the move would also add $7.6 million in dead money, according to Over the Cap. If Chicago were to trade Foles, it would add $4 million to the cap, and there would be $2.6 million in dead money left.
Foles completed 64.7% of his passes for 1,852 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games and seven starts when he got his last opportunity as a starter in 2020, and he proved last season he’s still a capable backup. We’ll see where he lands next.
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