Trevor Siemian, Bears Agree to 2-Year Contract to Compete to Be Justin Fields' Backup

The Chicago Bears have added another veteran to back up quarterback Justin Fields as he enters his second season.

Journeyman signal caller Trevor Siemian agreed to a two-year deal with Chicago on Friday, his agent Mike McCartney told ESPN. Siemian is set to replace or compete with Nick Foles for the Bears' backup QB spot.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network added the Bears are taking trade offers for Foles.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Siemian's deal is worth $4 million with a chance to reach as much as $5 million "considering upside."

Siemian spent the 2021 season with the New Orleans Saints and appeared in six games, throwing for 1,154 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He went 0-4 as a starter after he was thrust into the starting role when Jameis Winston tore his ACL in Week 8.

The 30-year-old entered the league as a seventh-round pick with the Denver Broncos in 2015. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 2018 season to back up Kirk Cousins, but he didn't appear in a game for the team.

Siemian signed with the New York Jets the following year and was named the team's starter for Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns while Sam Darnold was out with mono. But Siemian's season was cut short when he suffered torn ligaments in his ankle during that matchup. He didn't appear in a game during the 2020 season while spending time on practice squads for the Saints and Tennessee Titans.

In his career, Siemian has thrown for 6,843 yards with 41 touchdowns and 27 interceptions in 33 games. He was a part of the Broncos' title-winning team in Super Bowl 50.

Fields is a promising young talent, but he struggled during his rookie season. In 12 games, he completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He will be playing for a new coaching regime in 2022 after the Bears hired Matt Eberflus as head coach to replace Matt Nagy.