Nick Foles inked a two-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts worth $2.5 million, according to multiple reports. The one-time Super Bowl MVP will serve as Matt Ryan’s backup and reunite with Frank Reich.
Foles gives the Colts a proven veteran at the position should an injury shake up the quarterbacks room. The move was expected and started gaining traction on May 20. Now it’s official. Indianapolis released quarterback James Morgan to make room.
Foles’ move back to the AFC South – remember, the 33-year-old spent a season in Jacksonville – seems like a win-win situation, one that the Philadelphia Eagles considered. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Eagles flirted with the possibility of a Foles’ reunion in free agency. Especially as “trade interest” swelled around Gardner Minshew earlier in the offseason.
However, the idea of unleashing that Super Bowl ghost on Jalen Hurts proved too problematic. Philadelphia preferred to ride with Hurts, Minshew, and undrafted rookie Carson Strong.
Meanwhile, Foles reunites with Reich who served as one of the lead architects of the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl run. Reich was the offensive coordinator for that championship squad and had his blueprints all over quarterback development while earning Foles’ deep respect.
“I think the big thing with Frank is it wasn’t so much about football. When we talked, it was just about life and our faith,” Foles said of Reich in 2020, via Bleeding Green Nation. “It was really simple. He was the one who really figured me out as a player and realized that we had it all wrong and they just threw some plays out there one day and just said, ‘Go play these plays, we studied you and these are the plays you do.’ And sure enough something triggered inside of me.”
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Eagles Waive Joe Ostman After Failed Physical
The Eagles waived Joe Ostman after the “vested veteran” failed a physical, per the NFL transactions wire. The undrafted kid out of Central Michigan flashed potential as a hybrid pass rusher in 2018 but couldn’t stay off the injury report. Jimmy Moreland took his roster spot.
Joe Ostman just carted off the field
Ostman tore his ACL during training camp in 2019 before getting waived at final roster cuts. The 26-year-old switched from defensive end to linebacker in 2021 when Jonathan Gannon took over the defense. He didn’t see a single snap last season, leaving Philadelphia with one total tackle in three NFL games and 71 snaps.
“It was a disappointment when it happened,” Ostman told reporters in 2020 about the ACL injury. “I thought about it that way for about 24 hours and after that it’s time to move on, control what you can. It was tough to watch last year because I had high hopes of being out there and helping the team.”
Joe Ostman got stiff armed into oblivion on this play and still made the tackle. #Eagles need more of his hustle on the roster
Four Quarterbacks Round Out Depth Chart
Jalen Hurts is the starting quarterback in Philadelphia. That is no longer up for debate or speculation. Gardner Minshew will hold the clipboard behind Hurts, with Reid Sinnett and Carson Strong competing for the third-string spot.
The Eagles claimed Sinnett off waivers last year after trading Joe Flacco, so he brings some experience in Nick Sirianni’s system. Strong remains an intriguing name to watch after falling down draft boards due to concerns over a lingering knee injury. The former Nevada standout threw for 4,175 yards and 36 touchdowns en route to Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021.
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Eagles Make Final Decision on Backup QB Amid ‘Trade Interest’