Bears to release QB Nick Foles

The Bears couldn’t trade Nick Foles, so they’re releasing him.

Two years after the Bears traded for Foles to compete with Mitch Trubisky for the starting job, they’re cutting him with one year left on his contract, a source said Saturday night.

In March, new Bears general manager Ryan Poles signed Trevor Siemian to be Justin Fields’ backup. Poles said later that month that the Bears were trying to trade the former Super Bowl MVP. When the draft ended without a deal, Poles said Saturday night that the Bears planned to “have some conversations and see where we want to go next.” Minutes later, word leaked that the Bears were cutting him.

Former Bears GM Ryan Pace sent the Jaguars a fourth-round pick for Foles in March 2020 and restructured his contract into a three-year, $24 million deal. His contract was unpalatable to teams just a year later when Pace, having signed Andy Dalton, tried to trade him. Foles had a $4 million roster bonus paid in March and was set to make $4 million in base salary in 2022. He’ll leave the Bears with a $7.6 million dead cap hit.

Trubisky began the 2020 season as the starter before being replaced in the third quarter in Week 3. Foles rallied the Bears to a 20-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Falcons. He beat the Super Bowl-champion Buccaneers two weeks later.

Foles struggled behind a makeshift offensive line, though, going 2-5 as the starter in 2020. He was the third-stringer last year, making one start — a win in Seattle — with Andy Dalton and Fields out.