Quarterback Nick Foles expresses interest in starting again

By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Staff

Eagles backup quarterback Nick Foles has become a legend in Philadelphia for stepping in and bringing the city its first Lombardi trophy.

He stepped up in Super Bowl LII, throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns with a passer rating of 106.1 to go with his touchdown reception on the “Philly Special”. Now the Super Bowl MVP wants another chance to start. Foles told KVUE (an ABC affiliate in Texas):

“Yeah, I think the first step is we start our offseason program the 16th [of April] in Philly. We love Philly. I know there was some stuff going around, a possible trade, and I would love the opportunity to be a starter again.”

The Eagles have shown tremendous faith in Foles and have proven that they value the backup quarterback as one of the most important players on the roster. With Wentz not a sure thing to start on Week 1 of the regular season, the Eagles would like to keep Foles on the roster so that he can start and they don’t need to rush Wentz back and risk reaggravating his injuries.

If another team offers a haul reminiscent of or greater than what the Vikings offered for Sam Bradford a few seasons ago, the Eagles would likely trade Foles and ride Nate Sudfeld. SportsTalkPhilly’s Tim Kelley wrote a piece earlier this offseason about how a haul that large is unlikely. With that in mind, it is likely Foles plays for the Eagles this season.

A trade should be expected down the road, however. If Foles is on the Eagles roster 23 days before the 2019 league year, he will become a free agent at the end of the year. If he is traded before this, he is under contract for an additional three years for only $18 million. That is an affordable price for a starting quarterback in the NFL, so the Eagles may look to capitalize on that value. If Wentz returns healthy and can hit the level of play he is capable of by the trade deadline, the Eagles may send Foles to a team who has a quarterback that is either injured or not working out, but is still in the playoff hunt.

But Foles loves Philly. He is happy to be an Eagle and will do whatever he can to help the team. His comments just leave the door open for the Eagles to move him if they get the right offer.

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