Nick Foles had his best season as a pro with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, and those fond memories may have inspired him to take a pay cut to return to the team. Now, the veteran quarterback has a chance to play hero.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Foles turned down more money from at least one other team to sign a two-year, $11 million deal with the Eagles. The deal, which includes $7 million guaranteed, is still one of the richest in the league for a backup quarterback.
With Carson Wentz out for the year after he tore his ACL, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie told Rapoport the team is faced with the exact situation it paid big money for.
“We’ve planned for having a really good backup quarterback who I think is capable of being a good starter in the league,” Lurie said. “We just got to go for it. … We purposely invested a lot in the backup quarterback position. Nick was a Pro Bowl player for us. He’s a great guy with a lot of talent.”
Foles threw 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions while playing under Chip Kelly in 2013. That season has been somewhat of an anomaly, but Lurie is confident the 28-year-old can keep the team in the hunt for a championship.
“We’ve seen Nick be very good,” Lurie said. “And that year, 27 touchdowns, was no fluke. This is a better football team than that team. He’s surrounded with a better team now than when he was with us before. So, we have a real resilient group of guys and I know we’ll play hard and I think we’ll play well. And shoot for the No. 1 seed if we can get it.”
While the Eagles will likely take somewhat of a different approach on offense without Wentz, there are plenty of less capable backups than Foles across the NFL. Losing a starter this late in the season is often a death sentence. Lurie is hoping his team’s choice to spend big on a backup will make Philly the exception.
