Some are already convinced Nick Foles, the Chicago Bears' biggest acquisition of the offseason, will beat out incumbent quarterback Mitchell Trubisky for the starting job in 2020. If you ask coach Matt Nagy, however, nothing will be decided at QB for the foreseeable future -- and definitely not as long as the team is operating remotely.
Asked Friday about the anticipated battle between Foles and Trubisky, Nagy put it bluntly.
"There's no competition going on right now over Zoom," Nagy said.
In other words, the Bears aren't going to start projecting their on-field signal-caller until, well, they're allowed to take the field. Which certainly makes sense; Nagy was never going to proclaim Foles or Trubisky the clear-cut No. 1 until what figured to be a split of reps that carried into the preseason -- assuming, of course, there will even be a preseason this year.
That doesn't mean, however, Nagy isn't expecting a competition at all.
The coach noted that both players are "doing whatever they can to maximize whatever reps are available when they come," per NBC Sports Chicago's Adam Hoge. According to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jason Lieser, Nagy also talked up Foles' grasp of the Bears' playbook -- specifically as a means of highlighting the new QB's chances of replacing Trubisky under center.
The Bears basically confirmed this QB competition with their actions anyway. Before declining Trubisky's fifth-year option for the 2021 season, general manager Ryan Pace reportedly explored several big-name QB options in free agency, then sent a draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars to acquire Foles, who promptly renegotiated his contract to settle into the Windy City. With several coaches, including Nagy and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, already familiar with the former Super Bowl MVP, Foles is considered a betting favorite to open 2020 as Chicago's starter.
