Chicago Bears (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Week 1 saw plenty of injuries happen, even at the quarterback position. Because of the Chicago Bears‘ depth, they may be able to help one of those teams which suffered a key injury.
In their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Washington Football Team saw starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick go down early with a hip injury. Monday morning, it was confirmed that Fitzpatrick would be placed on injured reserve.
Backup Taylor Heinicke entered the game on Sunday and finished a modest 11-for-15, throwing for 122 yards and a touchdown to Logan Thomas.
Going forward, it will be Heinicke’s job, according to head coach Ron Rivera. However, trading for a quarterback shouldn’t be out of the question. Washington could reach out to the Bears about Nick Foles’ availability, and surely Ryan Pace would listen.
With Ryan Fitzpatrick on injured reserve, the Chicago Bears could trade Nick Foles to Washington.
Ron Rivera opens the presser by saying Taylor Heinicke will be the starting quarterback in place of Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will be placed on Injured Reserve.
— Zach Selby (@ZachSelbyWFT) September 13, 2021
Although Heinicke signed a two-year extension during the offseason and could make upwards of $8.75 million over the course of the deal, Washington should add some insurance.
Behind Heinicke is veteran Kyle Allen, who has some starting experience. However, Allen is nowhere near the type of insurance a playoff hopeful should count on. His most infamous headline was when he tossed four interceptions in a loss to the Falcons while starting for the Carolina Panthers a couple of seasons ago.
Heinicke, meanwhile, is someone that Washington can rally around. Rivera told media on Monday morning that he is a guy who energizes his teammates, which is a huge positive. That’s the type of guy they need under center.
But, if Heinicke were to go down, turning to Allen would be unwise. Adding a quarterback like Foles, even for a six or seventh-round conditional draft pick, would be well-worth the small investment.
It would be a win-win for both teams, actually. The Bears don’t have use for Foles at this time. Barring any injury to both Dalton and rookie quarterback Justin Fields, Foles will never even suit up. He was inactive for the Week 1 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, in fact.
Foles’ leadership and experience, and overall character, meshes well with a coach like Rivera. Both are respected around the league, and certainly Foles would take his role in stride.