Will the Bears QB Nick Foles be traded this offseason?

By: Kyle Strater

After what has been an eventful career, the former Super-Bowl MVP, Nick Foles, had a very down year with the Chicago Bears in 2020. Foles is still a starting caliber quarterback, but will be playing with a chip on his shoulder in 2021, and if he is traded this offseason, here are a few teams who Foles could be suiting up for in 2021.

Philadelphia Eagles

How storybook like would it be if Foles was reunited with his his former team. The Eagles have a bit of a QB dilemma as of now, and there are rumors that Carson Wentz will be traded. That would leave second-year QB Jalen Hurts as the lone quarterback on the Eagles roster. Foles would instantly compete for a starting spot in an Eagles roster that will be revamped with a healthy line and likely new receivers. The Eagles ranked bottom 10 in the NFL in receptions, receiving touchdowns, and receiving yards. Eagles fans love Nick Foles, but after a down year in 2020, there’s no guarantee he will return to the form he was in during Philly’s super bowl run in 2018. If the Eagles are able to add a receivers to what was a pitiful squad in 2020, Foles would thrive behind one of the NFLs strongest offensive lines (when healthy). With what is a very weak NFC East, strong QB play for the Eagles could arguably win them the division.

New England Patriots

We all saw how the Cam Newton project worked out in New England. To be optimistic, Foles is statistically, a much better passer in the past few years than Cam Newton. Foles playstyle also is much more similar to Tom Brady’s, which flourished under Bill Belicheck’s offense. Similar to the Eagles, the Patriots offense struggled passing the football in 2020. They ranked bottom 3 in the NFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and receptions. The Patriots current QBs on roster are Jarrett Stidham. End of list. Foles is no doubt more talented than Stidham so if he is traded, he would be favorite to start week 1. Fole’s wont take much to trade for, making him a low risk high reward option. If Foles is to succeed, the Pats will need to boost their receiving corps greatly as they arguably had the worst receivers in the NFL. Personally, Nick Foles would fit well with the Pats because he is a traditional pocket passer. The Patriots also have the 4th most cap space in the NFL, as well as 15th pick in the draft. If the front office is able to revamp their poor roster from 2020, the addition of Foles could be the key to Patriots return to glory. Even if New England decides to take a QB in the draft, Nick Foles would still bolster what is one of the weakest QB depth charts in the NFL.

Denver Broncos

Denver is in a very tough situation QB wise, where Foles would fit in nicely. It is likely that Drew Lock will still get one more chance to prove himself in 2021. Drew Lock has underperformed in his short time in the NFL, and considering how atrocious they Broncos played with Drew Lock out, having Foles, even as a backup would be a necessary security blanket. The Broncos ranked dead last in the NFL in passer rating in 2020, which makes me think the addition of Foles could potentially lead to him being a starter. The Broncos were plagued by injury in 2020, even losing their #1 receiver in Cortland Sutton. With the 7th most cap space in the NFL the Broncos will likely look to bring in free agent help in the offseason to make up for a lackluster year. The Broncos trading for Nick Foles is a very smart decision, even if things go wrong with Drew Lock, you have a experienced, talented QB to take over.

Nick Foles is still a talented Quarterback. Even after what was a rough 2020, he is still a starting caliber QB. His trade value is not very high, and I dont expect his tenure in Chicago to last much longer. The former playoff legend still, at 32 years old, has much to prove, and a change of scenery could do the trick. While a trade for Foles may fly under the radar, his value as a player is much higher than people give him credit for. Hopefully the highest graded QB in Super Bowl history gets a shot a redemption in 2021.