The Indianapolis Colts are once again going through a tough time with the health of their starting quarterback. Carson Wentz will have surgery on his foot and could miss five to twelve weeks, making it much harder for the Colts to start their 2021 season on a strong note.
The Colts don't have a reliable option to start the regular season as both Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger are inexperienced, so they'll have to look elsewhere until Wentz is back.
Of all the possible options to join them, there's one that makes the most sense above all others. Nick Foles right now is buried in the Chicago Bears depth chart and it wouldn't take a lot for the Colts to trade for him.
3 reasons why Nick Foles is the perfect replacement for Carson Wentz
#1 - The Frank Reich connection
No reason would be more important for the Colts to trade for Foles than his connection with Frank Reich, Indianapolis' head coach . The pair worked together during the 2017 season, which saw Foles famously lead the Philadelphia Eagles to an unlikely run in the playoffs that culminated with the first Super Bowl win for the franchise.
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When Foles joined the Eagles in 2017, Philadelphia's offensive coordinator was Reich, who mastered the run-pass option offense that catapulted the Eagles to the title alongside Doug Pederson. That year, Foles became the starter for the remainder of the season in Week 15, when the starting quarterback got hurt and missed the remainder of the campaign.
We all remember who that starting quarterback was, right?
#2 - Veteran experience to help Wentz
So, yes, the starting quarterback for the Eagles that year was Wentz, who tore his ACL during a running play against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 and only returned the following year.
The best years of Wentz's career were 2017 and 2018, both years when Foles was also part of the Eagles' roster. Every player who has been a Foles teammate has raved about his locker room influence. Surely that helped Wentz during those two years.
The junction of Foles' cool personality with Wentz's expansive manner worked out really well in Philadelphia, with Frank Reich also being appointed as a positive influence for Wentz during his first years. Foles would provide a sufficient level of play until Wentz is back and, when that happens, he'd be a great mentor in the locker room.
#3 - Low cost
Of course, for a trade to happen, the two sides need to agree to a deal. Would the Chicago Bears be willing to do so? They surely would - in fact, don't rule out the possibility of the Bears themselves calling the Colts up to try and deal Nick Foles.
As of now, Foles is the third quarterback on the depth chart as Justin Fields and Andy Dalton are battling for the starting quarterback position. With a $6.66 million cap hit, the Bears would love to recoup that money. Trading Foles would be a massive relief for their financial situation and the cost would be low, such as a sixth- or seventh-rounder.
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