Why Nick Foles makes sense for the Bengals

Joe Burrow is almost certain to be completely healthy at some point. But that point might not be right now.

In the meantime, the Bengals—and head coach Zac Taylor—cannot survive without a good backup quarterback. Brandon Allen doesn’t seem to be a guy who can win meaningful games.

Recently, we had expert analyst Joe Goodberry on our show and asked him if there are any backup quarterbacks the Bengals should be considering.

His suggestion? Nick Foles.

“If Burrow’s only 85 percent healthy, that 85 percent is still way better than Brandon Allen,” Goodberry said. “But maybe it’s not better than a Nick Foles, or it’s arguable, if Nick Foles is playing well.”

Foles has had the most up and down career in recent memory. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012 to be a backup but then had a stunning 2013 season, with 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions, and seemed to be their QB of the future. His success, however, was short-lived, and he bounced around the league for a few years before returning to the Eagles and becoming Super Bowl MVP in 2018.

Foles signed a four-year, $88 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019, was later traded to the Chicago Bears, who restructured his deal, making it a three-year, $24 million contract with cap hits of $6.7 million this year and $10.7 million in 2022. He is now expendable, as the team has Justin Fields as the long-term starter and Andy Dalton as the placeholder.

So is Foles still good?

That’s been the question since his third year in the league. It’s like he has a switch that he can turn on and off, wavering between elite and borderline starter. Other than that wildly-efficient 2013 season, he’s had an average regular season career (81 touchdowns, 43 interceptions, and a 87.1 quarterback rating). And yet, he somehow had one of the greatest postseasons ever, throwing for 971 yards, six touchdowns, only one interception, and completing 72.6% of his passes for a QB rating of 115.7 on that championship run.

In his most recent performance, a preseason win against the Tennessee Titans, Foles was 10/13 for 142 yards and two touchdowns. He threw a few beauties, which probably got some franchises thinking about the potential impact of a Philly legend who is somehow still just 32 years old. Are the Bengals one of those franchises? Probably not. But should they be? Probably.

You can listen to Goodberry’s entire season preview on iTunes or using the player below: