Foles to start at QB for Bears at Seattle

The Bears will start third-string quarterback Nick Foles on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Starter Justin Fields suffered an ankle injury on Monday night against Minnesota and missed practice Thursday and Friday. Andy Dalton has been out with a groin injury that happened just before he went on the COVID-19 list last week.

Foles started seven games last year for the Bears, but hasn't played — other than a relief appearance in a win over Jacksonville last December — since Week 10 of last season when he got a hip injury.

Coach Matt Nagy said Friday that recently acquired Ryan Willis could be the backup if Fields' ankle hasn't healed enough for him to play in case of an injury to Foles.

“His injury has not gotten worse since the beginning of the week, it's getting better,” Nagy said.

Dalton is off the COVID-19 list, but Nagy said the groin injury “started feeling a little bit worse” after a practice this week.

Nagy said Foles ­— MVP of Super Bowl LII with Philadelphia — looked sharp at Friday's practice.

“I know just the practice we came from right now he really was out there doing a lot of good things,” Nagy said. “You can see the timing.”

• Defensive end Bilal Nichols has returned from the COVID-19 list. ... Also out for Sunday's game are Jason Peters (ankle), Xavier Crawford (concussion) and Jakeem Grant. ... Marquise Goodwin and Eddie Goldman are questionable, although both have been able to go through full practices the last two days.