The Bears’ biggest star and their new quarterback hit it off quite nicely when they met for the start of the preseason. It was typical of new teammate exchanges in the NFL, with Khalil Mack and Nick Foles reminiscing about the handful of times they’ve faced each other.
The most recent of those was when Foles foiled the Bears’ Super Bowl hopes in January 2019 by helping the Eagles eke out a playoff win at Soldier Field. Even though Foles got the better of that matchup, he’s the one relieved to no longer have to worry about Mack charging him in the backfield.
Nonetheless, Mack couldn’t say enough about how much Foles has impressed him in their month or so together.
“Knowing what [the Eagles] did, and not only that, but just saying the type of guy he is — because he’s a hell of a guy,” Mack said. “You just got the right type of guy. That’s what Nick is. He can play and talk and communicate.”
Like the rest of the Bears, Mack is steered clear from weighing in on the position battle between Foles and Mitch Trubisky. He’s more concerned with the Bears’ defense staying at an elite level anyway.
“All in all, man, just knowing the two guys that are up for the job, whatever they decide to go with, we’re going to be ready,” Mack said. “We’re going to be ready to win a lot of ballgames, and I can’t wait. Whether it’s [Foles] or [Trubisky], we’re going to win.”
That philosophy proved true in 2018, when Trubisky was a middle-of-the-pack quarterback and the defense was overwhelming. That produced a 12-4 season and an NFC North title. Last season, though, Trubisky was a disaster and the defense, despite ranking fourth in fewest points allowed, wasn’t enough to offset that as the Bears finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs.
