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The Chicago Bears have added another quarterback.
Days after visiting the team and later working out for the Las Vegas Raiders, Trevor Siemian is signing a two-year deal with the Bears, his agent, Mike McCartney, announced via Twitter on March 24.
The Bears currently have four QBs on their roster, including Justin Fields, Nick Foles, Ryan Willis and now Siemian. With Fields the definite starter and Siemian inked for the next two years, it’s looking like Foles could be shopped — but considering he didn’t have any takers last season, the odds of him finding a trade partner this year aren’t great. Still, they’re better than they were in 2021.
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Will There Be Any Teams Interested in Trading for Foles?
That’s the primary question. Chicago just paid Foles’ guaranteed $4 million roster bonus for 2021, which could make him slightly more attractive to teams via trade, as they won’t have to pay it.
If Foles is released prior to June 1, the Bears would save $3 million in cap space but add $7.6 million in dead money, per Over the Cap. If traded, the Bears would add $4 million to the cap while taking on $2.6 million in dead money, so a trade is clearly more fiscally advantageous for Chicago. It’ll come down to what Foles wants coupled with whether there are any takers for him on the market.
With details of Siemian’s two-year contract rolling in — more on that in a minute — it’s looking as though Foles’ days in the Windy City are numbered.
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Siemian Inked 2-Year, $4 Million Contract, Per Ian Rapoport
NFL insider Ian Rapoport tweeted on March 25 that Siemian’s two-year deal with the Bears is worth $4 million, and could be worth up to $5 million with additional incentives.
Siemian started 24 games for the Denver Broncos from 2016 to 2017, but he has been a perennial backup ever since. The 30-year-old journeyman QB has also had stints with the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints.
In 2021, after starter Jameis Winston went down for the year with an ACL injury, Siemian was selected to start instead of Taysom Hill, and he wound up playing relatively well in limited opportunities. In six games and four starts for the Saints, Siemian completed 108 passes out of 188 attempts for 1,154 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions.
He also has a connection to new Bears quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko. The two worked together in 2018, when Siemian served as backup for Kirk Cousins in Minnesota. Now, Siemian will likely be backing up Fields in what will be a pivotal year in the second-year QB’s development. Janocko and new Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy must see something in him they like in order to bring him on for two years, particularly with Foles already on the roster.
With the addition of Siemian, the thing to watch now will be whether Foles develops any kind of trade market at all. If not, the former Super Bowl MVP could be outright released.
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