Arkush: For now, Nick Foles is perfect for what ails the Bears
Mitch Trubisky's ceiling is still quite a bit higher than Nick Foles'.
The problem with Mitch is that, in his first three seasons with the Chicago Bears, he has yet to get within shouting distance of that ceiling, while Foles has touched his on a number of occasions.
The odds are still extremely high Trubisky will be the Bears' 2020 opening day starter, and anyone who thinks he won't be on the roster at all needs to get a clue.
What makes the Chicago Bears a better football team now than they have been at any point since kickoff of their 2018 Wild Card game against Foles' Philadelphia Eagles is - in addition to the Robert Quinn signing - should Trubisky continue to stumble on his march to the top, they now have a legitimate Super Bowl MVP and Pro Bowl backup to push him up the climb or replace him if Trubisky is hindering the development of the rest of the offense.
When Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy told us last New Year's Eve at their season-ending press conference they needed competition for Mitch and an upgrade at No. 2 on the quarterback depth chart, all the job description had to read was Nick Foles.
Foles is the only QB in the game I can think of who has been a star at various points of his career and has also been a career backup.
Only three times in his career - 2014 in Philadelphia, 2015 in St. Louis and 2019 in Jacksonville - has he gone into a season as the No. 1 quarterback.
Foles will have no issues beginning this season as the Bears' No. 2; he is used to it and he knows the plan coming in.
His two greatest seasons were both accomplished coming off the bench as the backup: 2013, when he ran up a 119.2 passer rating, 27 TDs and 2 interceptions and was voted to the Pro Bowl under Chip Kelly; and 2017, when he started the last five games and won two playoff games before becoming the Super Bowl MVP under Doug Pederson.
In 2013, his quarterback coach was Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. In '17, his position coach was Bears quarterback coach John DiFillipo.
No QB in the game other than Alex Smith, Patrick Mahomes (playing for Andy Reid) and Carson Wentz (playing for Pederson) knows and has executed Matt Nagy's offense as well as Foles.
He can help school Trubisky or take over in the blink of an eye.
Who says Pace didn't have a plan?
Foles' contract is nowhere near as onerous as it was in Jacksonville with the Jaguars forced to eat most of the bonus portion, but while it is very rich for a backup, it's a bargain if he becomes a starter.
If Trubisky's play keeps him on the bench (and that's still the best-case scenario for the Bears), Foles will likely void the final two expensive-for-a-backup years on his contract, letting the Bears off the cap hook.
There is, however, one more dangling piece to the Bears' QB formula. It is as critical as ever they still draft a developmental prospect this season with the traits to some day become an NFL starter.
I absolutely believe Trubisky still has the tools to be who Pace thought he was when he drafted him, but you'd have to be a fool at this point to be optimistic he will figure them all out.
We'll see.
In his only three seasons as a starter, Foles ended up injured or a backup. He played just 13 games in 2013, 11 in 2015 and other than that has never played more than eight.
Foles could be a long-range answer the next five-to-seven seasons, but it seems unlikely.
The right draft choice this year you'd hope could eventually be the starter, but even if not he could become the backup as soon as next year if Trubisky develops - or Foles' No. 2 next year if he doesn't.
Either way, it is still an urgent need.
What we know today is an awfully bleak-looking preview of the Bears' 2020 season from 48 hours ago is suddenly looking a whole lot brighter.
• Hub Arkush, the executive editor of Pro Football Weekly, can be reached at harkush@profootballweekly.com or on Twitter @Hub_Arkush.