Nick Foles did not play last season, and the former Super Bowl MVP will not attempt to return to the league in 2024. The veteran quarterback announced his retirement after 11 seasons Thursday.
Turning 35 this offseason, Foles spent his most recent NFL campaign with the Colts. That 2022 season was far from his best work, and Indianapolis released him along with Matt Ryan in 2023. Foles will certainly be better remembered for his other stints, most notably his work in Philadelphia.
The virtuoso display the then-Carson Wentz backup offered in the 2017 NFC championship game and then Super Bowl LII led to the Eagles winning their only Super Bowl title and claiming an NFL crown for the first time since 1960. Foles did not have as much luck as a team’s preferred starter, but he also submitted a quality late-season relief effort to extend Philly’s title-defense season into the divisional round. Foles walks away having played for the Eagles, Rams, Chiefs, Jaguars, Bears and Colts.
Foles’ Eagles run began when the then-Andy Reid-run team used a third-round pick on the Arizona alum. The Eagles had traded would-be Donovan McNabb heir apparent Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals in 2011, and as injuries continued to hound free agency pickup/extension recipient Michael Vick, Foles stepped in. Foles’ first Philly stint included 24 starts, including a 2013 outing in Oakland that featured the 6-foot-6 passer tie the NFL record with seven touchdown passes, and a playoff berth. Foles was at the controls during Chip Kelly‘s 2013 debut, which produced an NFC East title and a narrow wild-card loss. Kelly’s one year in charge of personnel, however, resulted in Foles’ exit.
Kelly shipped Foles to St. Louis for Sam Bradford, whom the Eagles — after Howie Roseman regained the GM reins once Kelly was fired — traded after one season. Foles said he considered retirement following a rough Rams stint, which involved a benching and then a release. He resurfaced in Kansas City, backing up Alex Smith, and fetched a two-year, $11MM deal to back up Wentz. That turned out to be one of the most important QB2 acquisitions in NFL history.
Wentz’s ACL and MCL tears sidetracked what looked like an MVP season, and Foles struggled early in replacing the ascending starter. This led to the Eagles memorably being an underdog No. 1 seed in the divisional round. Foles silenced doubters by dominating to close out the Eagles’ banner postseason. Submitting 352- and 373-yard showings against the Vikings and Patriots, Foles threw six TD passes — and memorably caught another — to seal the Eagles’ championship. A statue now exists in Philadelphia because of Foles’ “Philly Special” offering.
Following another successful finish replacing Wentz, Foles saw his starter run end quickly. The Jaguars regretted the four-year, $88MM deal they authorized in 2019, benching him for Gardner Minshew before a 2020 trade with the Bears. Foles replaced Mitchell Trubisky early that season but was back on the bench during the stretch run. The Bears, who reworked Foles’ contract upon acquiring him, released the QB — who had become the team’s third-stringer following the Justin Fields draft choice — in 2022.
Thanks largely to the Jaguars contract, Foles earned more than $87MM in his career — a journey that included 58 starts, two trades and three releases. Although consistency eluded Foles, his Eagles accomplishments will certainly be remembered fondly.