Nick Foles will always be beloved in Philadelphia for life. He does not have to pay for a drink or a cheesesteak as long as he is alive. He will elicit so many smiles from Eagles fans anytime anyone mentions him. That’s the way it goes when he led the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship last season.
Foles is back to the rescue again for the Eagles. After the Eagles’ playoff hopes looked bleak at 6-7, he stepped in for the injured Carson Wentz and resurrected their playoffs chances by winning three in a row. Not only did he lead the Eagles to the playoffs, but he won them a playoff game last week with an 16-15 road victory over the Chicago Bears with an assist by Eagles defensive tackle Treyvon Hester blocking Cody Parker’s potential game-winning kick to help preserve the win.
On both occasions, he did this as a backup quarterback. He can add more to his legendary run by leading the Eagles to another road playoff victory against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon.
If Foles can pull this off by beating a great team that flourishes well at home, this might be the most impressive thing he did for the Eagles yet. Remember he already won the Super Bowl.
If he does, the Eagles have a good shot of returning to the Super Bowl. They can be the favorites to win it all.
The Eagles have a shot to win Sunday because of Foles.
If the Eagles win the Super Bowl or even go to the big game, they have a tough decision to make. It’s not a good problem for the Eagles to have. They have invested so much time into developing Wentz with the belief he is going to be a star, and he showed how good he can be in his rookie season two years ago. If they all of a sudden have no choice but to trade him, they could rue that day since they know what he can do when he fulfills his potential.
But on the other hand, do they risk team chemistry and destroy a foundation to success if they let Foles go? Guys have gravitated to Foles because he finds a way to win. He has that intangibles that gives credence in the locker room. That does not come easily with any quarterback. It takes a special quarterback to know how to win and how to rally around his teammates. Respect has to be earned in the NFL, and Foles has that over Wentz with wins and Super Bowl championship on his resume.
This is not an indictment of Wentz because no one knows about him just yet. It’s just that quarterbacks like Foles are hard to find.
There’s no way the Eagles can have both Wentz and Foles on the same roster next season. They know this. The Eagles backup quarterback has earned the right to start, and having Wentz as a backup does not really make much sense.
The beauty of all this is if Foles does well, the story and the drama get even more interesting for each postseason win. This is the most appealing storyline of this year’s postseason.
The Eagles players obviously want Foles to do well because they want to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The front office may not share the same sentiment. They need to look at the big picture such as being perennial Super Bowl contenders for years to come, and they don’t know if Foles is that guy for a 16-game season despite his accomplishments as a backup.
Foles will get a nice payday no matter what happens. He will be starting for an NFL team. He outperformed his contact and his caretaker role. There are going to be teams vying for his services. Maybe the Giants will be one of them.
Obviously, he is not thinking about what’s going to happen in the offseason. He has bigger things to worry about like trying to win at New Orleans Sunday.
There’s no question he is enjoying the moment. Why wouldn’t he? He already earned respect by his teammates. He accomplished so much these last two years. It’s been a dream to the point a movie can be made about him.. Who has it better than him?
All Wentz can do is be envious of Foles.
As much as the Eagles are enjoying the ride, they are also fretting a decision that does not sound like an easy decision anymore.
For Foles, he’s thankful this is not his problem.
