Nick Foles Has Been Involved In Some Shady Business Dealings

If Deshaun Watson is teaching us anything, it's to never trust the public image an athlete tried to put forward. There could always be something much darker lurking away from the cameras. Did anybody see Sam Hurd being a massive drug kingpin when he was playing special teams for the Chicago Bears? Now it seems another team member got himself into some ugly dealings off the field. Nick Foles himself. Anybody who talks about the veteran quarterback raves about his personality. A devout Christian and family man with an outgoing personality. Yet it appears even he can't avoid getting his hands dirty. According to ESPN's Mike Fish, the Bears quarterback and a number of other athletes were tagged in connection to some nasty investments that took place down in Texas. One that exploited the poor who couldn't easily repay loans. A practice that is illegal in several other states.

"INVESTMENTS FROM AT least 15 current and former NFL players, including Von Miller, Nick Foles and Mark Brunell, were used in a complex investment program designed to profit at the expense of low-income borrowers, according to civil and bankruptcy court documents obtained by ESPN. The players invested in a now-defunct company that funded a separate business targeting Texans with troubled credit ratings who needed quick cash and would put up their cars as collateral on loans averaging $1,000. Because of fees and interest in excess of 300%, borrowers would agree to pay hundreds of additional dollars to repay the loans. The so-called auto title loans are legal in Texas but prohibited in many states because they prey on people who lack access to traditional banking sources."

How did Foles even get involved in this?

The name to remember here is Joseph Feste. He is the leading mind behind this scheme. At one point in time, he was the registered financial adviser for the NFL Players Association. However, he lost that title due to his failure to disclose details about his business practices. The man is also a leader of a prominent Christian congregation down in Austin, Texas. Foles was born there. So the connections are plentiful and easy to make. It's uncertain how aware the Bears quarterback was of all this. Did he know exactly what Feste was doing with his money or did he entrust the respected financial adviser to use it properly? Nobody can say for sure. If Foles knew, that does not paint him in a great light at all. Many people view such practices as criminal, exploiting desperate poor people for financial gain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQsebwXKIBo&ab_channel=JimmyKimmelLive

How much longer with Nick Foles be in Chicago?

For the time being, the veteran remains fixed as the backup going into 2021. He will be the #2 guy behind Andy Dalton. However, rumors persist that GM Ryan Pace may seek to move him out via trade in order to clear some cap space and open up that second slot for a rookie quarterback.  Chicago would secure just over $1.3 million in cap space were they to send the quarterback to another team. Can they pull it off though? Foles' value isn't exactly high after his frustrating 2020 season where he went 2-5 as a starter with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Trading for a backup quarterback does happen but not often. Especially at the price tag he still carries. The acquiring team will have to really believe in his value. If it does happen, it won't be until after the draft when teams have a better grasp of where their QB situations are.

If it doesn't happen? The Bears may roll with three QBs this year.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing. Having another veteran presence in that locker room would be good for a rookie. Especially one like Nick Foles who won a Super Bowl and knows what it takes to get there. His exit is all but certain by next offseason when the Bears would secure $7 million in cap space by releasing him. The next few weeks should tell the story.