Report: Bears could not find partner for Nick Foles trade

The Chicago Bears have made clear that Justin Fields will get the chance to develop while Andy Dalton holds down the starting quarterback job. There’s a third quarterback on the roster, though, who seems completely frozen out right now.

In a recent appearance on the “Ferrall Coast to Coast” podcast, SiriusXM NFL reporter Adam Caplan noted that the Bears had sought to trade quarterback Nick Foles, but failed to find a taker. The Bears even reached out to Foles’ former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, but they weren’t interested.

“They fully guaranteed his $8 million back in March,” Caplan said. “He’s on the football team. He’s not moving. They tried to trade him to Philly and other teams. Nobody wanted him. He’s still there. He’ll back up Dalton this season.”

That $8 million salary is likely a big reason why there’s no interest in Foles. Anybody who wanted a starting quarterback more or less has one by now, and that salary is very high for a backup. Things may change if there’s a quarterback injury or something like that, but for now, the Bears aren’t going to have any luck with a trade.

Plus, there are doubts about whether Foles is good enough to start for a team with any real ambitions. The 32-year-old former Super Bowl MVP did little for Chicago in 2020, throwing for 1,852 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in nine games.

Back before the Bears signed Dalton and drafted Fields, they were still talking up Foles as a potential starter. Obviously, that’s changed, and now both parties appear stuck with each other.