(AUDACY) General manager Ryan Pace and the Bears attempted to trade reserve quarterback Nick Foles this offseason, but a market never developed, according to NFL insider Adam Caplan of Sirius XM.
The Bears attempted to deal Foles to the Eagles, Caplan reported. Foles led Philadelphia to a Super Bowl title in February 2018, when he was named the MVP of the game. The Bears also attempted to trade Foles to other teams, but he's now in line to return to Chicago for a second season. For now, the Bears' plan is to start veteran Andy Dalton. Chicago also recently traded up to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields at No. 11 overall in the first round of the NFL Draft.
"You mentioned Nick Foles," Caplan told Scott Ferrall of SportsGrid. "They fully guaranteed his $8 million back in March. He's on the football team. He's not moving. They tried to trade him to Philly and others teams -- nobody wanted him. He's still there, he'll back up (Andy) Dalton this season."
After trading Carson Wentz to the Colts, the Eagles appear set to give second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts a chance to start for all of 2021. A player like Foles -- who could play if need be but is also fine with being a mentor -- seemingly was a need for the Eagles. But Foles has a statue at Lincoln Financial Field, and even if he was comfortable in his role, his presence may have become a distraction if Hurts struggled for any portion of 2021. So instead, the Eagles signed another former Super Bowl MVP -- Joe Flacco -- to a one-year deal to back Hurts up.
The other problem that likely stunted Foles' market is that he carries a $6.6-million cap hit in 2021, as opposed to a $1.56-million cap hit for Flacco. In addition to the Eagles, that likely turned off other teams looking for a reserve quarterback.
Foles, 32, threw for 1,852 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games for the Bears in 2020. He posted an 80.8 quarterback rating.
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