The NFL has issued a new memo to all 32 teams regarding reopening facilities, and this is incredibly positive news for Chicago Bears quarterback Nick Foles.
Let’s get straight to the point, shall we? The best chance Mitchell Trubisky had to beat out Nick Foles in this year’s Chicago Bears quarterback competition was if the league continued its complete and total shutdown protocol.
Alright, maybe we should back up a bit to start. Wednesday night, ESPN reported that the league had sent out a memo to all 32 teams regarding a new plan to reopen team facilities. That plan will be set in place by May 15.
The initial reaction, from fans, should be pure joy and elation. This is a huge step forward towards having a football season in September. The plan that’s been laid out begins with team employees being allowed to enter facilities, and in many cases the limit is 75 total persons.
Later on, there will be players and coaches allowed back in little by little. It’s a small step, but it’s something. We can all breathe a little easier now.
Back to the Bears. After the team traded for Foles, it was crystal clear their plan in mind. The contract was restructured so that Foles is guaranteed less money per year, which essentially meant he knew he had a strong shot to start.
That, of course, was bad news for Trubisky, who had his fifth year option declined this week as well.
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If this is to be a true competition, then Trubisky’s best hopes are if the league continues to postpone activities. The sooner Foles gets into the building and is allowed to practice, the sooner he takes the job from Trubisky.
If there is little-to-no training camp, then Trubisky has a much better chance of retaining the starting job. It’s that simple. Foles needs a little time to get acclimated to his new teammates, coaches and develop some chemistry if he is to take over as the starting quarterback.
With a plan in place to reopen the league facilities now, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Foles. It is one step closer to the Bears totally moving on from Trubisky and Foles getting his chance to lead this franchise forward.
The next question is, though, whether or not games will be played with fans. That has yet to be determined, but we can all hold out hope for seeing our beloved Bears at Soldier Field this season. For now, we can take solace in the fact that the league has issued this memo and that teams are preparing to take a careful step towards a little normalcy one again.
