The Philadelphia Eagles chose not to trade Nick Foles last offseason after he led them on a remarkable run that was capped off with a win in the Super Bowl, but it sounds like the quarterback is destined to be starting elsewhere in 2019.
Foles and the Eagles have a mutual contract option for next season. If both sides agree to pick it up, Foles would make $20 million in 2019. Should the Eagles pick up their end and Foles opt to become a free agent, he can pay back $2 million to void the deal. Either way, Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman spoke with several NFL front office executives and came away with the impression that it will be a “free-for-all” for Foles if and when he parts ways with Philly.
One executive went as far as to say he expects a “Reggie White-like pursuit” for Foles, which is a reference to when the Hall of Famer left the Eagles and signed with the Green Bay Packers in 1993. Another scout said teams will be willing to part with significant draft capital for Foles if Philly finds a way to keep him under contract.
“There are a lot of teams that will shoot their shot at Foles,” the NFC West scout told Freeman, “and [should Philly keep him] will be willing to part with substantial draft picks to do it.”
The Eagles can use the franchise tag on Foles even if he opts out of his contract, and the only risk with that would be that they could get stuck paying a backup quarterback starter money if they are unable to trade him. Given what Freeman reported, it doesn’t sound like that will be an issue.
Foles’ trade value is likely even higher this year than it was last offseason, as the quarterback draft and free agent classes are not nearly as deep. Couple that with the level of respect Foles has earned from his teammates during their latest late-season run, and it’s easy to see why he will be in such high demand.
