Bears GM Says There Will Be “Open Competition” Between Mitch Trubisky & Nick Foles For Starting Job

Bears GM Ryan Pace told reporters on Friday that there will be an “open competition” between QBs Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles for the starting job.

“With the addition of Nick Foles it’s exactly what we talked about from the start – we want to create competition. We’ve talked to both players and it’s an open competition,” Pace said. 

Meanwhile, Bears HC Matt Nagy said they plan to be “very transparent and very honest” about the competition.

“What is important and what you and all are going to find out in this process – it’s going to be very transparent and very honest,” Nagy said, per Brad Biggs. 

Nagy added that Trubisky is embarrassing the competition. 

“You could feel how much of a competitor Mitch is. He’s embracing it and he’s excited to get back to work,” Nagy said. 

According to Nagy, Trubisky “will go first in the huddle” but he will get “equal” reps with Nick Foles and it’s expected to be “extremely competitive.”

Indications were that Foles was going to get a serious opportunity to win the job this summer, so this shouldn’t come as a big surprise.

Foles, 31, is a former third-round pick of the Eagles back in 2012. Philadelphia traded Foles to the Rams back in 2015 in a deal for QB Sam Bradford and he later signed an extension with the team.

Foles lasted just over a year with the Rams before he was released and later signed on with the Chiefs. After a year in Kansas City, Foles agreed to a two-year, $11 million contract with the Eagles. 

From there, Foles signed a four-year, $88 million contract with the Jaguars that included $50.125 million guaranteed. He was traded to the Bears last month. 

In 2019, Foles appeared in four games for the Jaguars and completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 736 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Trubisky, 25, is a former first-round pick of the Bears back in 2017. He’s entering the final year of his four-year, $29 million contract that included a $19.17 million signing bonus and set to make a base salary of $2.21 million in 2020. 

The Bears will have to decide on Trubisky’s option at some point in the near future. 

In 2019, Trubisky has appeared in 15 games for the Bears and completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 3,138 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions to go along with 193 yards rushing and two touchdowns.