Bears releasing former Super Bowl MVP QB Nick Foles, per report
The Chicago Bears are releasing veteran quarterback Nick Foles, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
After the Bears signed veteran Trevor Siemian to serve as starter Justin Fields' backup, it became clear that Foles wasn't in Chicago's immediate plans.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles confirmed a few weeks ago that the team was actively shopping Foles, hoping to turn another failed decision from the previous regime into draft capital.
"Nothing has popped up right now, but we're working on it," Poles said in late March. "Hopefully something pops up."
Unfortunately, it didn't. And rather than continue to search for an elusive trade partner for Foles, the Bears made the decision to move on from him now.
"Ryan Poles did the classy thing and Nick appreciates it," said Foles' agent Justin Schulman.
Chicago traded a fourth-round compensatory pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Foles, as well as his hefty contract, back in 2020. The hope was Foles would be able to thrive in former head coach Matt Nagy's offense. But that worked out the same way every other quarterback worked out with Nagy – it simply didn't.
Foles went 3-5 as a starter for the Bears over the past two seasons, throwing 11 touchdowns to eight interceptions.
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While it wasn't the best-case scenario to release Foles – as it'll cost $7.67 million in dead money and free up just $3 million in cap space – it had to be done. Poles was not going to carry three quarterbacks on the roster like Ryan Pace did last season.
The 33-year-old Foles, a third-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, is 29-27 in his career. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2013. In his second tour of duty with the Eagles, he stepped in for an injured Carson Wentz during the 2017 season and led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl championship. He was named MVP of their Super Bowl 52 victory over the New England Patriots.