Chicago Bears need Nick Foles to make them look smart

The Chicago Bears want Mitchell Trubisky to wow them this summer. They need Nick Foles to do so.

Those sentences seem counter to each other, but really, they track towards the same goal. Trubisky is entering his fourth year. He is famously the man Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace selected in the 2017 NFL Draft instead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.

In an ideal world, Trubisky would shake off an ugly and inconsistent first three campaigns to become a star.

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However, trajectories are rarely so rosy in the NFL. Still, head coach Matt Nagy is holding out hope for Trubisky, per ESPN:

“What’s important, and what you are going to find out in this process, is it’s going to be real simple — it’s going to very transparent and very honest,” Nagy said. “What I thought was really neat was when we talked to Mitch, which speaks to who he is. You could feel how much of a competitor [he is], and you know it, and you see it. He’s a competitor. … He understands that all he wants to do is be the best quarterback he can be for the Chicago Bears, and that’s what he’s going to do as we move on here.”

Enter Foles.

Knowing Trubisky may never be more than a footnote in history, Pace traded for Foles. In doing so, he gave up a 2020 fourth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The selection isn’t insignificant to the Bears, however. They are also without their first-round choice as part of the Khalil Mack trade from years ago.

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For Pace — and perhaps Nagy as well — to remain employed in there Windy City, they need Foles to prove he’s worth the investment. He needs to be a solid quarterback for the next year or two, giving the front office time to fix their error with Trubisky.

Of course, there’s the dream scenario of Trubisky suddenly looking like a competent quarterback, but provided Foles does, the Bears at least cover themselves. If both guys are ordinary come September and October, good night.

Pace’s acquisition of Foles bought him another chance. It gave the Chicago Bears another lottery ticket, hoping this one comes up aces even if the other goes bust again.

If Trubisky becomes a star, nobody cares about the sunk cost in Foles. However, the likelihood is Trubisky remains who he is to a large degree, putting the pressure on Foles to produce, and produce immediately.