The biggest concern with Nick Foles starting for Chicago Bears

Nick Foles is an upgrade over Mitch Trubisky, but the question is, for how long?

When the Chicago Bears hired John DeFilippo, it was clear this team had eyes on Nick Foles. Foles is arguably a better fit, and more familiar with the offensive coaching staff than Mitch Trubisky at this point, and it does point to Foles seeing the field, potentially as early as Week One.

While many Chicago Bears will note that a healthy Nick Foles could be an upgrade over Trubisky, the keynote here is healthy. When you look at the game logs of Foles, the most games Foles has started in his NFL career is 11.

Foles did play 19 consecutive games for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013-2014. He started the season as a backup, but by Week 6 started and went 8-2, followed by one playoff game. He started the first eight games of the following year before a collar bone injury ended his season and first stint in Philadelphia.

Foles was named a starter the following season in 2015 but was benched after 11 games for Case Keenum. Foles spent time with Matt Nagy in Kansas City on the bench and meeting rooms, but started one game and threw 55 passes in 2016.

In 2017, when Foles won a Super Bowl, it was three games to close the season when the playoffs were already clinched, followed by a three-game Super Bowl run. His magical run was six games in total. In 2018, he came right back off of the bench and started five games to close the year, followed by two playoff games, including one we all remember. Still, you add that up and have seven games.

Of course, in 2019, Foles started four games. He started one, before a clavicle injury, and started three post-injury.

So, Foles has proven he can win in the playoffs. He has not shown he can play sustainable or injury-free football for more than eight games since 2013 and has never done it for 16 games in a season.

A six or seven-game spurt is nice, but the Chicago Bears may need more from that, right?

Nick Foles has been named a Week One starter for his NFL franchise three times. In 2014, he fractured his left collarbone, in 2015 he got benched for Keenum, in 2019 he broke his left clavicle. Two injuries to the same shoulder each time he had to go through the grind of the season is not brought up enough. That is quite the counter to his Super Bowl run, especially when getting to the playoffs over a 16 game season is apart of making the run.

It is almost like the Chicago Bears should trot Mitch Trubisky to start the season and keep the Bears afloat. A 4-4 record with Trubisky where the team relies on their defense, followed by an eight-game run to close the season and hopefully a playoff run by Nick Foles is a tough ask, but it would give the Bears closure with Trubisky and would buy Foles time to stay healthy.