Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
The Chicago Bears are reportedly willing to trade Nick Foles if a deal arises but won’t move him to a situation where he’s uncomfortable.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported the Bears plan to “listen” to offers ahead of Week 1 but are comfortable keeping him on the roster. Foles is slated to be the Bears’ third-string quarterback behind Andy Dalton and Justin Fields.
The Bears are responsible for all of Foles’ $4 million base salary this season, along with $1 million of his 2022 base salary. He is slated to be the NFL’s most expensive third-string quarterback by a large margin; some teams don’t even carry three quarterbacks, let alone ones with Foles’ resume.
While it likely wouldn’t take much for the Bears to part with Foles, there is also no obvious suitor. The Indianapolis Colts looked like a solid bet after Carson Wentz’s foot injury, but he’s recovering better than expected and could be available Week 1.
“Listen, Frank Reich is one of my favorite, if not my favorite, coaches of all time. He understands me as a player,” Foles told reporters earlier this month. “He understands me as a person. But you know, I haven’t had any talks with them. I’m a Chicago Bear right now. But he knows me, he understands.”
Every other quarterback situation around the NFL is essentially settled unless the Dallas Cowboys want some type of insurance for Dak Prescott’s injured shoulder. Barring an injury, it appears likely the Bears will have to eat Foles’ base salary and allow him to hold a clipboard all season before moving on next spring.
