Chicago Bears: How did they end up with Nick Foles?

The Chicago Bears said that they were committed to Mitchell Trubisky, but it turns out that the folks at Halas Hall had another idea in mind….

Well, it started with the Chicago Bears speaking with Teddy Bridgewater, but the Bears unfortunately ended up going another direction. Ryan Pace & Co. decided to explore all options that they had at their disposal. With Bridgewater out of the fold, would the Bears decide on trading for Andy Dalton? Maybe even work out a deal for former MVP Cam Newton?

Instead, Chicago decided to part ways with a compensatory fourth-round draft pick and acquire Jacksonville Jaguars signal caller, Nick Foles. Now, you may be asking yourself, “Hey, what does this mean for Mitchell Trubisky?”

Don’t worry, the same exact thought process was running through my head as I read the news breaking tweet. I spent the first few minutes trying my best to breakdown what kind of compensation the Bears would receive by taking on Foles’ contract when suddenly the news came in…

The Bears weren’t receiving a draft pick in return for taking on Jacksonville’s salary dump. Immediately, I thought that I had to be reading the NFL Network’s ticker incorrectly… I took a sip of my coffee on my desk and thought, “What in the world is Ryan Pace doing?”

As articles, tweets and opinions started to pour in, I couldn’t help but think about the ramifications this could potentially have for the Bears moving forward. What would the future hold for former second-overall pick, Mitchell Trubisky? How does this affect the Bears cap space? Is Ryan Pace trying to save his job?

While mulling over all of the possible answers to the thoughts running through my head, more Bears news broke via ESPN’s Adam Schefter… Nick Foles and the Bears brass had agreed to restructure his contract to a three-year deal with $21 million guaranteed on the deal. The catch? Foles would now have the ability to void the deal after either of the first-two years depending on how he performed for the Bears.

Why is this important? Well, it’s a safety net for Foles because if he plays well he can opt out for a pay raise, but if he underperforms he knows he’ll be collecting a sizable check anyways. How does this benefit the Bears, you ask? Well, Chicago clears off some of Foles’ annual cap hit which helps with retooling the existing roster.

So, what are the Bears getting in Nick Foles? Unfortunately, Foles 2019 campaign was cut to only four games with the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a broken collarbone.

While rallying back from injury, Foles was able to accumulate 736 passing yards and 3 touchdown passes. However, prior to his brief stint in Jacksonville, Foles was coming off back-to-back playoff appearances with the Philadelphia Eagles, which included a Super Bowl and MVP trophy. Couple that with the fact that Foles has an extensive history with the Bears current coaching staff, and the strategy behind the trade starts to come into clarity.

With all this being said, we’re still left to wonder, “How did the Bears get here?” The answer is a little difficult to dissect. However, one thing is clear to me — Ryan Pace wanted Teddy Bridgewater badly. Why do I say that?

There’s no other explanation for why Pace would’ve jumped out of the gate for Bridgewater the way he did except for that the former New Orlean Saint was his top-choice to add to the Bears quarterback room. Pace, a General Manager known for his conviction came out flying in pursuit of the Louisville product, but a deal never materialized.

Next in line? Rumor has it that it was none other than Cincinnati Bengals passer, Andy Dalton. What happened? I have to believe that the Bengals were asking for more than the Bears were willing to part with for “competition.” Then the Halas hopeful arrived at their final destination… Duval County.

Now, I do not know what will end up happening during Nick Foles tenure with the Chicago Bears. Will it last all three-years or will it be a one-and-done scenario? Are the Bears still going to target a quarterback in the upcoming draft? I’m not entirely sure, but what I do know is that I’m at least encouraged by the fact that the Bears seem to be starting to understand that Mitchell Trubisky is not the answer under center. What does the future hold for the Bears in 2020? We shall see.