Two-Time Champ Explains Why Nick Foles is Perfect For Chicago

Few men understand Nick Foles better than Chris Long. The former defensive end was teammates with the quarterback on two different occasions. First in 2015 with the St. Louis Rams and then again in 2017 and 2018 with the Philadelphia Eagles. So if anybody has an informed opinion on what exactly the Chicago Bears are getting in the veteran passer, it's him.

Long called into the Rich Eisen Show to discuss various topics. Eisen broached the subject of Foles late in the program and the two-time champion had nothing but great things to say. While he admitted the quarterback wasn't a transcendent talent, the Bears were getting somebody special in a number of vital categories.

Especially mental fortitude.

"Nick is somebody who's going to bring in a tremendous amount of leadership. He's one of the best leaders I've ever been around. Period. He's going to be a guy who can distribute the football within that system. So I think you're taking a shot at someone who's had high highs. You saw Nick in Philly Chapter One. Record-setting with Chip Kelly. Chapter Two you saw him as a Super Bowl MVP obviously.

Then you saw the lows which were Jacksonville and the St. Louis Rams in the Fisher years where quarterbacks were not succeeding. So quarterbacks need context, they need things around them. I don't think Nick's one of those guy who can succeed just anywhere. There's only a few guys who can do that. But if you surround Nick with the right players and scheme, I think he'll be fine. He can handle the pressure of Chicago. Nick is unflappable."

Nick Foles is well-versed in playing for tough cities

That last part is perhaps most important. Playing in Chicago is not easy. Its fans are demanding and highly critical of quarterback play for obvious reasons. This city has been starved of a legitimate passer for a long time. They can practically smell weakness at this point. It takes a high degree of mental toughness to handle playing here. Jim McMahon had it. Jay Cutler, for all his flaws, had it. Mitch Trubisky? It doesn't seem that way.

Foles already proved he could handle it. The guy won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia. Everybody knows the reputation of that city and its fans. They can be merciless towards players. They often got on the case of Donovan McNabb over the years despite him being one of the best quarterbacks of the 2000s. Like Chicago, they're a blue collar town that loves its football team.

That experience should help Foles. He knows what to expect. Been there done that.