QB Nick Foles adds fuel to fire on Colts trade speculation

LAKE FOREST – Nick Foles sounds like a man ready to book his flight to Indianapolis.

The Bears’ quarterback has been slinging the ball around with the third-team offense during training camp, but he’s also well aware of what’s going on elsewhere around the league. In his media session Monday at Halas Hall, Foles said he wants to be involved in any trade discussions that involve him.

He also said there were some trade discussions over the offseason, but there wasn’t a perfect fit.

“There was a couple opportunities that came to be this offseason, but it wasn’t the right time or the situation that was going on,” Foles said.

In Indianapolis, news broke Monday that starting quarterback Carson Wentz would need surgery on his foot and could be out at least five weeks, and possibly as many as 12. A 12-week absence would put him out for half the regular season. Colts backup Jacob Eason has never played in an NFL game.

Foles, 32, has a history with Wentz and Colts coach Frank Reich. Reich was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia in 2016 and 2017, when Foles led the Eagles to a victory in Super Bowl LII. Foles was the backup to Wentz, who was having a stellar 2017 before an ACL injury ended his season.

In place of the injured Wentz, Foles won three straight playoff games – including knocking off Tom Brady and New England in the Super Bowl.

“Frank Reich is one of my favorite, if not favorite, coaches of all-time,” Foles said. “He understands me as a player. He understands me as a person. But I haven’t had any talks with them. I’m a Chicago Bear right now.”

Foles mentioned how much he appreciated that Reich adjusted the Eagles’ offense to fit Foles’ playing style during the latter part of the 2017 season. Foles was blunt in the fact that he doesn’t want to go just anywhere. He wants to play for someone he already has a rapport with.

“I don’t want to go to someone that I don’t know,” Foles said. “I’ve gone down that road before, and it’s not fun.”

The Bears demoted Foles to third-string quarterback after signing free agent Andy Dalton and drafting rookie Justin Fields this spring. The Bears had traded for Foles a year earlier in order to bring in competition for quarterback Mitch Trubisky ahead of the 2020 season.

Foles played in nine games last season, with seven starts. He came in for Trubisky during the second half of a Week 3 game against Atlanta and led the Bears to a 17-point comeback, but that would prove to be one of the high points of his brief tenure as the Bears’ starting quarterback.

The team went 2-5 in his seven starts and struggled offensively. Trubisky wound up taking over the starting job in November and held onto it the rest of the season.

It makes sense why teams, such as the Colts, might look to Foles if their starting quarterback goes down with an injury. Foles has started 55 regular-season games in his career and proved that he could win big games.

And frankly, the Bears don’t need a former Super Bowl MVP slinging it with their third-string offense.

“You want to go somewhere where you know the people somewhat, or you know someone who knows the people that can vouch for the people, so you can succeed,” Foles said. “Listen, I’m 32. I feel great. The version of me right now is much better than the version that played in the Super Bowl, I’ll tell you that. And I’m confident in that.”

It doesn’t appear that anybody is vouching for Foles in Chicago, or he’d be battling Dalton for the starting job. So maybe the time is right to move on.