As the opening of NFL free agency arrived, it became clear the Chicago Bears quarterback pursuit had narrowed to three choices. Tom Brady was headed south to Tampa Bay. Philip Rivers went to Indianapolis. Teddy Bridgewater took his comeback tour to Carolina. That left the Bears with Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, and Nick Foles as the most logical choices. All three were established veterans with loads of starting experience. They had proven they could get a team to the playoffs.
In the end, they went with Foles.
This surprised a lot of people. Newton was a former league MVP and is still one of the most imposing physical specimens at the position. Dalton seemed like he would cost the least to get and had a more proven track record as a long-term starter. Was Foles really above those two in the Bears’ eyes?
Yes, and for key reasons according to Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog.
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“The other options didn’t particularly interest the Bears, outside of Andy Dalton. (Nobody in the league trusts Cam Newton’s health.) The issue the Bears had with the Dalton were both the Cincinnati asking price (a second rounder) and Dalton’s financial requirements. Is there really a talent/production difference between Foles and Dalton? The Bears didn’t think so.”
Hughes was on top of the Robert Quinn signing prior to the Foles moves, so it’s clear he has some inside knowledge of what the team is thinking.
Cam Newton and Andy Dalton each came down to business
Newton has battled injuries since the end of 2018. He had a shoulder issue that required surgery. Then last season a couple of games in he tore a ligament in his foot and was lost for the year. His body has endured a pounding for a long time due to his particular playing style. Couple that with questions about his switch to a vegan diet, something nutrition experts believe opened him up to more injury issues and it wasn’t a hard decision.
As for Dalton? Yeah, Ryan Pace was never going to give up a 2nd round pick for him. Not for a 32-year old quarterback everybody knows is on his way out and has never won a playoff game in his NFL career. Foles wasn’t the sexiest options but he was the best for the Bears. He had connections to most of the offensive coaching staff. He came at a reasonable price (late 4th round pick) and has proven he can win a championship when put in the right situation.
