In 2013 Nick Foles began the season as the number two quarterback on the Philadelphia Eagles depth chart, and ended it as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. After hamstring injury to starter Michael Vick in the second quarter, Foles got his first chance in week five against the Giants where he threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns to help lead the 1-3 Eagles to a 36-21 road win in MetLife Stadium. With Vick injured, Foles took full advantage of his opportunity and never looked back.
A phenomenal 27 touchdown (and just 2 interception) season had Foles looking like the solution to the Eagles quarterbacking troubles they’d been experiencing since the departure of Donovan McNabb. The next season, Foles led the Eagles to a 6-2 record, but a broken collarbone ended his season and, unbeknown to the entire NFL world, his Eagles career. In the offseason leading up to the 2015 season, Chip Kelly began to change the look of the entire Eagles roster and Nick Foles was no exception. The Eagles and Rams ended up swapping quarterbacks, sending Foles to St. Louis and Sam Bradford to Philadelphia.
Once in St. Louis, Foles was never able to achieve the success he had found with the Eagles. He had the worst year of his career in 2015 leading the Rams to just five wins and throwing a dreadful 10 interceptions compared to just seven touchdowns. After being benched twice over the season for Case Keenum and then seeing the Rams draft quarterback Jared Goff with the number one overall pick in the draft, Foles’ short one year stint with the Rams came to an end when he requested to be released.
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After his request was granted, Foles signed a one year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs to be their backup quarterback. Just two years removed from a 119.0 passer rating, the best touchdown to interception ratio in NFL history and a Pro Bowl Offensive MVP award, Foles now finds himself once again watching the game from the sideline.
With solidified starter Alex Smith in front of him, Foles will have a tough time getting onto the field with the Chiefs, but maybe that’s not such a bad thing for the struggling quarterback. With experienced Alex Smith and offensive master mind Andy Reid, Kansas City seems like the perfect place for Foles to take a step back and regain the skill and confidence he once played with. Though we would all like to see this product of Austin Westlake on the field as soon as possible, a few years of practice and learning may mean many years of success in the future. So while we may not know what the future holds for him, Nick Foles seems to have put himself in a great position to work towards a comeback to the quarterback he once was.
