The Chicago Bears fortified their quarterback room by signing Trevor Siemian, a move that could put Nick Foles on the outs once again with his name floated in NFL trade rumors.
Chicago traded a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft for Foles in March 2020, acquiring him to serve as competition for Mitchell Trubisky. After making seven starts during his first season with the Bears, he was moved down to third-string quarterback last season after Chicago signed Andy Dalton.
A year later, Siemian is arriving on a two-year, $4 million contract. With a serviceable backup in place to mentor Justin Fields, it seems Chicago is once again trying to shop Foles around the league.
- Nick Foles contract: $10.666 million cap hit (2022)
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Bears are exploring their trade options with Foles. The effort to move him comes just weeks after the franchise paid him a $4 million roster bonus.
It’s not a great spot for the Bears to be in, especially after they already paid Foles his roster bonus. There are veteran quarterbacks available in free agency (Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andy Dalton, Geno Smith and Cam Newton) with starting experience. If a team needs depth at the position, there are cheaper options available.
- Nick Foles career stats: 62.4% completion rate, 87.3 QB rating, 14,003 passing yards, 82-43 TD-INT
While a trade seems unlikely, we’ll examine three potential landing spots for Foles.
- Houston Texans: Davis Mills will be the Texans starting quarterback in 2022, that’s already decided. However, the Texans could see a benefit in adding a 33-year-old with 56 starts in his NFL career. Trading for Foles might only cost a swap of 7th round picks and he’d be an even better target if the Bears release him.
- Indianapolis Colts: It’s highly unlikely that Matt Ryan misses a game, he’s one of the most durable starters in the NFL. However, the Colts might find some logic in putting a more viable backup plan in place than Sam Ehlinger. Foles could operate the Frank Reich offense in a pinch, starting for a game or two in the worst-case scenario.
- Seattle Seahawks: Drew Lock is expected to start for Seattle in 2022 and the franchise will likely spend an early pick on a rookie quarterback. Needless to say, the Seahawks’ quarterbacks room needs experience. Foles would provide that and he could also serve as a mentor for the young signal-callers.
We’d still bet against the Bears finding a trade partner for Foles, they missed their opportunity years ago. Ultimately, this likely ends with Foles being cut and then he joins a crowded field of veterans looking for work.