Getty New Bears QB Nick Foles.
Nick Foles already has a statue outside Lincoln Financial Field. Perhaps a Philadelphia reunion for the backup is inevitable.
Foles, the beloved MVP of Super Bowl LII (the franchise’s curse-breaking first Lombardi Trophy), had a hard time adjusting to life in Florida and doesn’t appear to be in the Jaguars long-term plans.
The 31-year-old was supposed to be Jacksonville’s franchise quarterback after signing a four-year, $88 million contract. But a broken clavicle caused him to miss significant time last year and then a series of poor performances relegated Foles to the bench. He was replaced by rookie Gardner Minshew, a guy who will retain the starting job there for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, Foles has been the constant subject of trade rumors. The financials are hard to swallow — Foles is due $15.125 million in 2020, with $22 million counting against the salary cap — and would have to be worked out. Still, there are a slew of teams in need of a veteran leader under center and he fits the bills.
One possible landing spot would be Indianopplis where he could look to rekindle his Super Bowl magic with former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich. The Chargers and Bears make interesting destinations as well, assuming they miss out on Tom Brady.
Philadelphia Reunion Sounds Crazy & Confusing
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has proposed Nick Foles’ old team as another intriguing option. The Eagles are in the market for a backup quarterback as they appear ready to move on from Nate Sudfeld. He’s a free agent and the fact they went out and signed Josh McCown last summer seemed to indicate displeasure.
Foles would be welcomed back ravenously by the team’s fan base but it might put too much pressure on Carson Wentz. He finally looked like he had exorcised the ghost of Foles after his late-season surge finally put him in the playoffs. Why re-introduce the chaos of Foles?
Well, the scenario presented by ESPN is a crazy and confusing one. Lot of dominoes need to fall.
First, it assumes that Tom Brady leaves New England for Indianapolis and then says that the Patriots acquire Matthew Stafford from the Lions. Next, Teddy Bridgewater signs with the Chargers and the Jaguars trade up in the draft to grab Oregon’s Justin Herbert. Finally, the Eagles bring Foles back as their safety valve behind Wentz and the Saints do the same with Andy Dalton.
Did you follow all that? Good, it’s not happening. Here is what Barnwell wrote about the Foles’ part of the equation:
The other part of that trade sees Foles momentarily head to Miami, where the Dolphins restructure his deal and eat a significant portion, with the Jags sending along a fourth-round pick to sweeten the deal. Foles takes a pay cut in 2021 and 2022, and Philly then trades a fourth-round pick to reunite with its legendary backup.
Foles Struggled Mightily in Jacksonville
Everyone wanted Nick Foles to succeed in Jacksonville. He earned it after his stellar play down the stretch for the Eagles in 2017. However, fairy-tale endings aren’t always the norm in the NFL.
Foles was booed and benched on Dec. 1 versus Tampa Bay after committing three consecutive turnovers on the Jaguars’ first three possessions — an interception on the game’s first drive, a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, and another fumble that the Buccaneers turned into points a few plays later.
It was hard to watch. He went 7-of-14 for 93 yards in that game before exiting in favor of Gardner Minshew.
Oh man, the Minshew chants are getting even louder…
The veteran signal-caller hasn’t seen much success outside of his two stints in Philadelphia. Last year, Foles played in four games and completed just 77 passes (in 117 attempts) for 736 yards in four starts. He also threw three interceptions and coughed it up twice in four losses for the Jaguars. Despite being booed in Jacksonville, Foles kept up a good front.
“It’s not easy. This is not an easy game,” Foles said, via ESPN. “Tough situation, but I’m going to continue to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving. Like I said before, it’s a trial, and the trials keep coming. Not easy, but I know where my heart is and where my faith is and what I’m going to lean on in this time like I always do in the good and the bad.”
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