It’s been five years since the Bears traded for Nick Foles. How did Chicago and the Jaguars fare with the deal?
There’ve been quite a few eras for the Chicago Bears over the past decade, especially at quarterback, where the team has struggled to find a long-term solution since Jay Cutler.
They took Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but it took quite a while to get there. Along the way, they had a quick stint with Nick Foles as their quarterback, trading a conditional draft pick to acquire him from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Foles had earned a four-year, $88 million deal with Jacksonville that included $50 million guaranteed following his stint as the Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback. But, that marriage was short-lived, as Foles played just four games for Jacksonville, going 0-4. He suffered a broken clavicle in Week 1, then struggled upon his return before losing his job to rookie Gardner Minshew.
In Chicago, Foles was brought in to compete with incumbent starter Mitchell Trubisky, who had disappointed in 2019 after leading the Bears to the playoffs in 2018.
Let’s revisit the 2020 trade five years later and see how it fared for both sides.
Original Nick Foles trade terms between Bears and Jaguars
- Chicago receives: QB Nick Foles
- Jacksonville receives: 2020 fourth-round compensatory pick (140 overall)
How did Nick Foles perform with the Bears following his trade?
Foles had a short stint in Chicago, spending two seasons with the team and making eight combined starts.
He competed with Mitchell Trubisky in 2020, splitting half of the starts. Trubisky started the year as the starter, but was benched in Week 3 for Foles, who led a 20-point comeback effort to beat the Atlanta Falcons.
Foles proceeded to start the next seven games, going 2-5 in that stint, but suffered a hip injury in Week 10 of that season, leading Trubisky to become the starter once again.
Trubisky went 3-3 as the starter to end the season, leading the Bears to an 8-8 record and a playoff spot, where they bowed out in the Wild Card round.
The Bears drafted Justin Fields with the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and also signed Andy Dalton in free agency, moving Foles to the No. 3 quarterback spot the following season.
Foles made only one appearance that year, throwing for 250 yards and a touchdown in his lone start, which the Bears won. After the year, he was released, saving the Bears $3 million and costing a $7.66 million dead cap hit.
What did the Jaguars do with the pick from the Nick Foles trade?
Jacksonville used the fourth-round pick, which ended up being the No. 140 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, on linebacker Shaquille Quarterman. Quarterman was primarily a special-teams player, making the roster in each of his first four years and logging at least 50 percent of the special-teams snaps every season.
While he never became a rotational piece on the defensive side of the ball, he spent four seasons with the Jaguars.
Who won the Nick Foles trade between the Jaguars and Bears?
Ultimately, there isn’t a standout winner here, but I’ll side with Jacksonville slightly, as Foles didn’t pan out as a starter for Chicago, costing them $21 million Jacksonville would have had to pay.
Winner: Jaguars