![nick foles trade](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/gettyimages-1093784956-e1547431349892.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780)
Getty Nick Foles may not be back with the Eagles next season.
Yes, it appears Nick Foles is available on the trade market. No, the Eagles shouldn’t bring him back.
Foles, the greatest backup of all-time and Super Bowl LII MVP, was benched last year in Jacksonville after returning from a broken clavicle injury. Rookie sensation Gardner Minshew II took the reins when Foles went down and captured the nation’s attention.
The Jaguars seem intent on moving forward with the second-year quarterback as their starter in 2020 despite inking Foles to a four-year, $88 million deal last offseason. Per ESPN, “word is the Jaguars want to go with Gardner Minshew II as their starting QB and, ideally, find a trade partner for Foles.”
The 31-year-old signal-caller remains a legend in Philadelphia after delivering the franchise their first-ever Lombardi Trophy in 2018. And, yes, the Eagles are in the market for a backup behind starter Carson Wentz … but Foles just isn’t a good fit this time around.
For starters, his base salary is $15.1 million in 2020 and carries a $21.8 million cap hit, per OverTheCap. Perhaps even more daunting than the financials would be the immense pressure his statuesque shadow would put on Wentz as he looks to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl on his own merit. The move, although fun to debate, doesn’t make sense.
Foles Flamed Out in Jacksonville, Really Badly
Let’s be honest about the situation. As much fun as a Philly reunion would be for Eagles fans, Nick Foles wasn’t very good last year in Jacksonville. He was actually pretty terrible.
You could argue he wasn’t given a fair shake, especially not after injuring his shoulder early in the first quarter of his Jaguars debut. (Not for nothing, he did throw a beautiful 36-yard touchdown strike on the play where he went down).
Foles rehabbed and worked hard to return by Nov. 17 but he just didn’t have the same magic. Foles went 0-4 in his four starts last year, including getting benched — and heavily booed by Jaguars fans — after fumbling twice and throwing an interception in the first half of a game on Dec. 1.
Foles finished his first season in Jacksonville by going 77-of-117 for 736 yards, with three touchdowns against two interceptions. He was also sacked eight times and fumbled the ball away twice. In all, the quarterback accounted for five turnovers in four starts.
In true Foles’ fashion, he stayed positive following the benching.
“It’s not easy,” Foles told reporters. “This is not an easy game. 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.”
Eagles Twitter Ponders Bringing Super Bowl MVP Back
The cries for nostalgia somehow beat out logic on Eagles Twitter, at least to a certain extent. It wasn’t a vocal majority but there were quite a few fans pounding the drum for a Nick Foles reunion in Philadelphia.
Some of the proposed scenarios were hilarious, including a crazed Jaguars fan suggesting a straight-up Foles for Zach Ertz trade and a more reasonable Eagles fan trying to acquire Foles for a fifth-round draft pick.
Foles for Alshon Jeffery? None of those trades would ever get done, obviously.
Foles does have a statue erected in his honor outside Lincoln Financial Field so this debate will never stop.
Either way, the Super Bowl MVP should have suitors in a quarterback-starved league. The early front-runners appear to be the Indianapolis Colts (reunion with Frank Reich), the Chicago Bears (insurance for Mitch Trubisky) and the New England Patriots (possible successor to Tom Brady). All intriguing options.
READ NEXT: Jalen Ramsey, Eric Berry Among NFL Players for Eagles to Target
Follow the Heavy Philadelphia Eagles page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Comments
Jaguars Looking for Trade Partner for Super Bowl MVP