Carson Wentz is the future of the Philadelphia Eagles. This will not be an article trying to dispute the indisputable or debate the undebatable. But what happens over the next few weeks could carry heavy implications for the Eagles quarterback position.
The Eagles paid Nick Foles big money in the offseason for a reason. A 2-year, $11,000,000 contract is hefty money for a backup QB, but the Eagles know Foles well. Doug Pederson played a large hand in drafting the sixth-year quarterback and after his historic 27-2 TD/INT ratio in 2013, would reunite with Pederson in Kansas City following a year with Jeff Fisher. In fact, the former draftee of the team actually turned down offers from the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans (As revealed by Peter Schrager in the FOX broadcast) to return to the City of Brotherly Love and finished what he started.
The win over the Giants went a long way in showing why Howie Roseman was so willing to spend the big bucks to bring Foles back to Philly. Comfortable in this system, Foles threw four touchdown passes and zero interceptions against New York, pushing his offense down the field and picking up where the defense left off. If Carson Wentz were to ever go down with injury, the Eagles have a competent backup who can carry the load…and that’s exactly what Foles proved on Sunday.
But what happens if Foles continues this level of consistency and excellence into the postseason and beyond? In a very best case scenario, let’s say the Birds make it to the NFC Championship game (or potentially even the promised land). If Foles led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance since that heartbreaking loss to the Patriots in XXXIX, what would happen?
There is no way that Foles would ever replace Wentz as the starter, but to make the problem simpler, we will say that Wentz fully recovers from his ACL tear by the time next season rolls around. Nick Foles would have proven himself worthy as a starter. Someone who can lead a team into the playoffs and beyond with confidence and who has an extensive winning record in the NFL. He did it with the Eagles, he did it with the Chiefs. Jeff Fisher-led teams never seem to click offensively. Just ask Jared Goff or Sam Bradford. Foles is a quarterback who could start at a moments notice…and if he shines in the postseason, he is going to attract attention.
The quarterback class coming out this year is strong, but is it Andrew Luck strong? Is it Jared Goff and Carson Wentz strong? If the answer leans toward developing or teams would rather bring in a veteran starter and spend their assets elsewhere, Nick Foles suddenly has a lot of trade value.
If the Eagles were to trade Foles, they have a backup conundrum once again. Do they keep Nate Sudfeld as the backup, or do they look for another guru quarterback in the vein of Chase Daniel or Nick Foles? The value of the backup was on full display this weekend, but if Foles succeeds and flourishes as he did in 2013, teams will come knocking. If you’re a quarterback who wins an NFC Championship for instance, you wouldn’t want to be benched the moment the face of the franchise returns.
The Eagles would either have to bank on Nick Foles being happy as the backup and comfortable in the culture that Pederson and the Eagles are building, or look to bring in a haul of assets to complete their roster and lift some weight off of a pressing cap situation.
There are plenty of moving parts here and this is all hypothetical. First, the Eagles have to get into such a situation. But with a first-round bye and playoffs secure, Foles will at least have the opportunity to audition one last time for a long-term starting role. Whether the Eagles would entertain offers after seeing just how valuable the backup position really is however, is another debate entirely. We will just have to wait and see…
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Philadelphia Eagles Carson Wentz Jersey
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