NEWSLETTER
Unlike last week, when Matt Nagy pulled out stall tactics when it came to announcing his starting quarterback, there was no secret who was getting the call against the Lions in Week 13. The only thing left to figure out was who would serve as QB2.
Nagy didn’t waste much time announcing that either:
Coach Nagy say Nick Foles is moving around well at practice this week and projects that he'll backup Mitch Trubisky this Sunday for #DETvsCHI.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 3, 2020
Nick Foles was a full participant in Thursday’s practice. And because Nagy liked what he saw, he declared Foles as Trubisky’s backup for Sunday’s game against the Lions. But in doing so, Nagy essentially confirmed more than his quarterback pecking order.
Because by making Trubisky the starter and Foles the backup with both players being healthy, Nagy — in a way — confirms the move to Trubisky was as much performance based as it was rooted in Foles’ availability (or lack thereof) after the bye.
The Bears went 2-5 with Foles as the starter. He threw as many touchdowns (7) as he did interceptions (7) in those games. And his 79.7 passer rating left a ton to be desired, as did his decision-making and execution within the offense. Foles didn’t do what he was expected, which was steady an offensive ship that needed the guidance of someone who knew it intimately. Because he didn’t do that, it was only a matter of time before Trubisky reclaimed his starting job. Foles’ injury further accelerated the process.
This is Mitchell Trubisky’s team now. For how much longer is to be determined. But this much is for certain, neither quarterback took advantage of their opportunities to take the job and run with it. Hence, we’re already looking at QB prospects for 2021 and beyond.
