Nick Foles Trade Becomes Official as Jaguars Gain 12th 2020 draft pick

The trade of Nick Foles from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Chicago Bears has now been officially processed, granting the Jaguars yet another draft pick.

13 days after the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears agreed to a trade that would send veteran quarterback Nick Foles to the Bears in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round selection, the trade has become processed and official, closing the book on the Foles era in Jacksonville.

🚨 TRADE OFFICIAL 🚨

We have traded Nick Foles to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 4th round pick. pic.twitter.com/oJCj6XehTU

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) March 31, 2020

“We appreciate Nick’s contributions to our organization over the past year,” said General Manager Dave Caldwell in a statement. “We wish him and his family the best in Chicago.”

Foles is the third player the Jaguars have traded for a 2020 draft pick in the month of March alone. Previously, the Jaguars traded cornerback A.J. Bouye to the Denver Broncos for a fourth-round pick, while also trading defensive lineman Calais Campbell to the Baltimore Ravens

Foles had a rocky one-year tenure in Jacksonville, in large part due to an injury he sustained in Week 1. The veteran signed with the Jaguars shortly after he became a free agent in 2019 as the Jaguars signed the former Super Bowl MVP to a four-year, $88 million contract that was worth about $45 million in guarantees, which is the most guaranteed money the Jaguars have ever pledged to a player.

Throughout the entirety of the offseason programs, training camp, and preseason, Foles was the Jaguars' unquestioned No. 1 quarterback. He got off to a hot start in Week 1 as well, throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark on his second possession as the Jaguars' starting quarterback.

Unfortunately for Foles, he sustained a fractured clavicle on that same throw due to a hit from defensive tackle Chris Jones. The injury would require surgery and took Foles off of the field for the next eight games, opening the door for his replacement to take over.

With Foles on the mend, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II started the next eight games. Minshew went 4-4 as the starter in that period, and his energetic play style and moxie won over the respect of his teammates, coaches, front office, and owner Shad Khan.

Foles returned as the Jaguars' starting quarterback in Week 11, his first game eligible to return from injured reserve. His time back on the field was short-lived, however, as the Jaguars were in the midst of a brutal losing streak.

Jacksonville lost each of Foles' first two starts upon his return, and the veteran quarterback was then benched in favor of Minshew by head coach Doug Marrone at halftime of Week 13's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after committing three turnovers in the first half. Foles didn't play another snap in 2019.

The Jaguars now have 12 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, including three picks in the fourth round. They will also have to take on a dead cap hit of a little more than $18 million. The team has no financial obligations to Foles following the 2020 season.

The pick the Jaguars gained from the Bears, which is the No. 140 overall selection, gives the Jaguars an abundance of draft ammo for 2020, which could give the team a lot of flexibility when it comes to April 23.

"The Jaguars now have 12 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft (1-9, 1-20, 2-42, 3-73, 4-116, 4-137, 4-140, 5-157, 5-165, 6-189, 6-206, 7-223), including seven selections in the first four rounds," the team said in a release. 

The Jaguars also have nine picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, including multiple picks in the first and fourth round.