Chicago Bears look to be trading Nick Foles very soon
By Ryan Heckman
The transition from former Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace to new and current general manager Ryan Poles has been a sudden one. The Bears hardly have any Pace draft picks left at this point.
Poles has made some tough decisions in parting ways with veterans formerly acquired under the Pace administration, all while taking a “wait and see” approach during the first two weeks of free agency.
One of the remaining, notable players added by Pace is quarterback Nick Foles, who was previously acquired for a fourth-round pick. However, news that broke late Thursday night now fires up the rumor of Foles being traded once more.
The Bears agreed to terms with veteran backup quarterback Trevor Siemian on a 2-year deal, which means that Foles is likely on his way out one way or another.
After signing Trevor Siemian, are the Chicago Bears prepared to trade Nick Foles?
Foles has spent the last two seasons in Chicago after coming over from the Jacksonville Jaguars. He infamously took over for Mitchell Trubisky in a comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons back in 2020, creating a whirlwind of quarterback controversy for the remainder of that season.
After being relegated to third string last year when the team signed Andy Dalton and drafted Justin Fields, Foles rarely played until late in the season.
Now that the Bears have Siemian in the fold, it appears their plans for Foles are cut and dry.
Chicago could designate Foles as a post-June 1 cut and save $3 million in the process. Or, they could opt to trade the former Super Bowl MVP to a team like the Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks or Carolina Panthers — all of whom have a rough quarterback situation at the moment.
One possibility that would, quite frankly, bring Bears fans to their knees with laughter, is if the team traded Foles to the Atlanta Falcons. Pace has joined Atlanta’s front office and the Falcons have since signed multiple former Bears over the past two weeks.
Atlanta did just trade Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts, but signed Marcus Mariota to a 2-year deal. While Foles ending up in Atlanta would be hilarious, it’s not likely.
Still, if Poles could turn Foles into any asset whatsoever, at this point, it would be a huge victory. He’s clearly not part of this organization’s plans going forward and may have a better opportunity to see the field elsewhere.