Getty Head coach Frank Reich of the Indianapolis Colts talks with quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Nick Foles.
Technically, Nick Foles started it.
In his lone meeting with the media this calendar year, the third-string quarterback for the Chicago Bears did not mince words: He made it known he would only accept a trade to a team in which he knows and/or is comfortable with the personnel — and he also made it a point to discuss how much he admires Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Foles said when he was asked if he wanted input in any possible trade. “In this league, I don’t want to go to someone that I don’t know.”
Foles and Reich, of course, won a Super Bowl together with the Philadelphia Eagles less than five years ago, when Reich was his offensive coordinator. When speaking with the media August 4, Reich was asked about the Foles trade talk, and whether he may seek a reunion. His answer contained some mixed messages.
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Reich: ‘There’s Nothing About Nick Foles I Don’t Like’
Now that his starter, Carson Wentz, is about to be sidelined as he recovers from foot surgery, talk began circulating linking the Colts to Foles, as he’s currently buried behind Andy Dalton and Justin Fields on the QB depth chart. Indianapolis could also use some veteran leadership in Wentz’s absence.
Here’s what Reich said when asked about a potential trade for Foles, per The Athletic’s Stephen Holder:
“This is Carson’s team, first of all. He’s our quarterback. We’re excited about having him. He knows that and this team knows that. When we brought him here, we brought him here for one reason. And it wasn’t to compete. It was, he’s going to come in here and lead this football team. I don’t mind talking about Nick Foles. I love Nick Foles. He plays for the Chicago Bears and I haven’t talked to him. But I think he’s a great player. I think he’s proven that. I think he’s a great great teammate. There’s nothing about Nick Foles I don’t like. I think he’s a winner. He’s certainly a guy who fits our kind of culture, but he plays for the Chicago Bears.”
So Reich hasn’t talked to Foles, but admits the veteran quarterback “fits” his team’s culture? Got it. The Colts coach certainly can’t publicly recruit another quarterback — particularly one who has such a long and complicated history with Wentz — but he also gave Foles a laundry list of compliments, which he didn’t have to do, either.
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Wentz Return Timeline Will Be Key
Wentz and Foles have a complicated history. They played together in Philadelphia in 2017-18, when Foles served as his backup. After going down with a torn ACL and LCL in 2017, Foles took over and led the Eagles to their lone Super Bowl as a franchise, earning MVP honors.
Wentz came back from the knee injury to lead the Eagles again in 2018, but another injury sidelined him, and Foles, once again, took over. Will it happen again in Indianapolis?
How fast Wentz recovers from foot surgery will likely determine whether Reich and company seek the services of a veteran. Analyst Chris Mortensen said on Twitter that while the Colts weren’t shopping for veteran quarterbacks at this time, “If this relatively safe surgery & rehab gets complicated, then another vet QB will be considered.”
The Colts are not trading for Foles, Minshew or Mariota at this time.
Carson Wentz begins rehabbing his foot after two weeks.
He hasn’t been ruled out week 1 but it’s optimistic.
If this relatively safe surgery & rehab gets complicated, then another vet QB will be considered.
Foles said this about Reich on August 2: “Listen, Frank Reich is one my favorite, if not the favorite, coaches of all time. He understands me as a player. He understands me as a person. I haven’t had any talks with them. I’m a Chicago Bear right now.”
We’ll see how long “right now” lasts.
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