It’s starting to feel like a family reunion around Eagles Land—first Doug Pederson returned to the flock, and now they bring back one of Doug’s best students from Pederson’s previous stint as QB coach in Philly.
It’s now official, per ESPN.com news service:
Former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Nick Foles is returning to the Philadelphia Eagles on a two-year deal, the team announced Monday. The deal is worth $11 million, with $7 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Josina Anderson, confirming a report by NFL Network.
With the signing of Foles, Chase Daniel has asked the Eagles to release him; the team is expected to do so Monday. “Yes, we did, and it was mutual,” Daniel told 94 WIP in Philadelphia when asked if he requested to be released by the Eagles. “I believe I’m a starter in this league.”
Foles will serve as the backup to second-year starter Carson Wentz. The Chiefs declined Foles’ option on Thursday, making him a free agent.
Foles, who turned 28 years old in January, joined the Chiefs last year as a free agent after being released by the Rams. He played in three games for Kansas City, starting one. He threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns in those three games.
Foles played three seasons for the Eagles and one for the Rams before joining the Chiefs.
The Eagles’ third-round pick in 2012, Foles started five games that season. Then, in 2013, he had one of the more remarkable quarterback seasons in NFL history. Foles threw 27 touchdown passes with just two interceptions in leading the Eagles to the playoffs. He was selected for his only Pro Bowl that season.
Foles’ play declined drastically in 2014, when he threw for just 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was traded to the Rams after that season as part of the deal that also involved quarterback Sam Bradford. Foles played poorly for the Rams, throwing for seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions before being benched late in the season.
The Eagles have been working to trade Daniel in recent days to a team that would benefit the veteran signal-caller, but both sides felt the decision to release him now was mutually beneficial. The Eagles and Daniel’s representatives will work on potentially adjusting his contract to benefit both parties.
Daniel, who signed a three-year, $21 million with the Eagles last offseason, is set to cost $8 million against the cap. While cutting him would leave $7 million in dead money, a trade would bring the team significant financial relief.
Seems like a lateral move for the Eagles to replace Daniel with Foles, with the extra comfort factor that Foles knows almost as much about Doug Pederson’s offense as Daniel did. The tough part for Foles is knowing that deep inside not a single fan wants to see him play one meaningful down in 2017, as that would mean either Carson Wentz would be injured or struggling badly.
But as an insurance quarterback, and with previous ties to the team and its fans, Foles is a good deal for the Eagles.
Career statistics–Nick Foles (6-6, 243, out of U. of Arizona)
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | FUM | Lost | ||
| 2012 | Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 6 | 161 | 265 | 60.8 | 1,699 | 6.4 | 6 | 5 | 79.1 | 11 | 42 | 3.8 | 1 | 8 | 3 |
| 2013 | Philadelphia Eagles | 13 | 10 | 203 | 317 | 64.0 | 2,891 | 9.1† | 27 | 2 | 119.2† | 57 | 221 | 3.9 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2014 | Philadelphia Eagles | 8 | 8 | 186 | 311 | 59.8 | 2,163 | 7.0 | 13 | 10 | 81.4 | 16 | 68 | 4.3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| 2015 | St. Louis Rams | 11 | 11 | 190 | 337 | 56.4 | 2,052 | 6.1 | 7 | 10 | 69.0 | 17 | 20 | 1.2 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 2016 | Kansas City Chiefs | 3 | 1 | 36 | 55 | 65.5 | 410 | 7.5 | 3 | 0 | 105.9 | 4 | -4 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 42 | 36 | 776 | 1,285 | 60.4 | 9,215 | 7.2 | 56 | 27 | 88.1 | 102 | 350 | 3.4 | 5 | 21 | 10 | |
- ^† League leader
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