The Chicago Bears have a decision to make at quarterback this offseason. Everybody knows this. It's hardly news at this point. The big question is who will Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace end up targeting? Most bets by the national media have locked in on Andy Dalton, the former four-time Pro Bowler who is on his way out in Cincinnati. A 32-year old with loads of experience and football smarts. It's certainly logical. Some have even claimed he's already been in contact with the Bears about a possible restructuring of his contract.
Does this make him a lock? Nope. One thing to remember about the Bears and Pace is he never tips his hand in these situations. Could Dalton be the actual target? Sure, but history says all this buzz on him is a smokescreen to shield their interest in somebody else.
So who could that be?
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is usually off on his predictions whenever the Bears are involved. However, his latest had a slight twist. This time he claimed to be speaking for an NFL source with tons of league experience and strong connections to the quarterback market. One that has made a lot of successful predictions about QB landing spots in the past.
A few of his or her choices for this veteran crop were obvious like Tom Brady staying in New England and Ryan Tannehill staying in Tennesee. Then there were some wild curveballs like Cam Newton being traded to Las Vegas. What he had to say about Nick Foles though was most interesting.
"He has strong ties to the coach and he's cheaper than Rivers. He was with (GM Chris) Ballard in KC. The Bears have some interest too, and (coach Matt Nagy) likes him, too. I think he gets traded."
Matt Nagy has ties to Foles that should not be ignored
People keep talking about the connections that Dalton has to the Bears. It's important to remember that connection (offensive coordinator Bill Lazor) just arrived back in January. He hasn't been around long enough to have much sway on such a big decision. By contrast, Foles has much deeper ties to this staff. Not only did he serve briefly with Lazor in Philadelphia, but also quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. Most importantly though? He worked with Nagy himself.
They spent a season together back in 2016 with the Kansas City Chiefs, Nagy's first as their offensive coordinator. Foles actually played extensively in two games during that season when Alex Smith got hurt, throwing for 410 yards with three touchdowns and no interception. So Nagy isn't just familiar with the work the QB did a year later, becoming a Super Bowl MVP. He knows how Foles is off the field too.
Obviously this isn't a guarantee of anything. Foles' contract is expensive, carrying a cap hit of $21.6 million in 2020 alone. It's why Jacksonville is trying to move it. The Bears would either have to clear up a lot more cap space to have enough flexibility or they'd have to get him to restructure the deal somehow. On the plus side, taking Foles off their hands could net them an extra draft pick.
While Dalton may be the leader in the clubhouse at the moment, it sounds like Foles is closer to the front of the pack than people think.
