Here's How Nick Foles' Contract Affects the Bears Salary Cap Situation for 2020 and Beyond

There has been no shortage of blockbuster NFL trades this week, and another broke out of the blue again on Wednesday.

In a shocking move could mark the end of Mitchell Trubisky's reign in the Windy City, the Jacksonville Jaguars offloaded quarterback Nick Foles to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.

The Bears clearly felt that they needed an upgrade over Trubisky, and they did just that with this trade. However, it could have significant ramifications on the team's cap situation in both 2020 and in the long term.

The Bears will inherit the final three-years of Nick Foles' deal, which pays a base value of $50M. He slots in as their starter.

The Jaguars will take on a dead cap charge of $18.75M for 2020, while stockpiling another draft pick as they go through a franchise transition.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 18, 2020

Per ESPN insider Field Yates, Chicago will take on the remaining three years of Foles' gargantuan four-year, $88 million contract that he signed with the Jaguars last offseason. The Bears will pay the 31-year-old $50 million, $21 million of which is guaranteed, over the next three seasons.

According to Spotrac, Foles' contract comes with cap hits of $15.62 million in 2020, $20.62 million in 2021, and $20.75 million in 2022.

After this move you can't help but feel that general manager Ryan Pace will pull together a string of moves to create more cap room. On Tuesday, the Bears further crippled themselves by inking defensive end Robert Quinn to a monster five-year, $70 million contract.

The #Jaguars paid $30.5 million for one season of Nick Foles, who started four games, won none and now leaves behind $18.75M in dead money on the salary cap after his trade to the #Bears. The overhaul in Jacksonville continues.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 18, 2020

The Bears now have a hefty amount tied into Foles for the next few years, and he joins a list of substantial earners in Chicago in 2020 that includes Khalil Mack ($26.2 million), Allen Robinson ($15 million), Akiem Hicks ($11.8 million), and Kyle Fuller ($11.5 million).

While Foles will be earning a pretty penny in Chi Town, there's real reason to believe the play of Mitch Trubisky was the main factor holding them back from competitiveness over the past few years.