Advertisement

As Nick Foles ponders retiring from NFL, why his 'Philly Special' Eagles legacy endures

Martin Frank, Delaware News Journal
·6 min read
29

If this is it for Nick Foles, he'll have much more than the "Philly Special" and the statue outside of Lincoln Financial Field as his legacy during his two memorable stints as the Eagles quarterback.

Foles could be reaching the end of his NFL career after he was released by the Indianapolis Colts last week.

Foles, who's 34 years old, hinted that he might have played his last game during an appearance last weekend at Mariners Church in Irvine, California, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"I was just released (Friday) by the Colts, which is actually a good thing, so don’t cry for me," he told the audience. "Shoot, almost every year of my career, I’ve almost retired. Every offseason, I think, 'Do I still want to play? Do I still want to keep going?'"

Foles has already said that he will retire as an Eagle. That's because Foles is one of the most popular Eagles players ever.

Foles has played for six teams over 11 seasons since the Eagles made him their third-round draft pick in 2012. But Foles has never come close to matching the success he has had in Philadelphia.

That success is forever embedded in Eagles' lore.

In this Feb. 4, 2018, file photo, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, right, hands the Vincent Lombardi trophy to Nick Foles after the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game in Minneapolis.
In this Feb. 4, 2018, file photo, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, right, hands the Vincent Lombardi trophy to Nick Foles after the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game in Minneapolis.

Foles led the Eagles to their first, and only, Super Bowl victory. He threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in the 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots on Feb. 4, 2018. In that game, Foles became known for arguably the most famous play in team history, the so-called "Philly Special."

On fourth-and-goal from the 1 late in the first half, Foles lined up as a tight end as Corey Clement took the snap, pitched the ball to tight end Trey Burton, who threw it to Foles in the end zone. Before the play, Foles went to the sideline during a timeout and suggested the call to then-Eagles coach Doug Pederson.

"You want Philly Philly?" Foles said to Pederson.

That sideline discussion became a statue outside Lincoln Financial Field.

In this Sept. 5, 2018, file photo, a bronze statue depicting Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, left, and head coach Doug Pederson discussing the "Philly Special" trick play is seen at Lincoln Financial Field, in Philadelphia. Facing the mighty New England Patriots on the NFL's biggest stage, Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson's decision to try a trick play — the "Philly Special" — on a fourth down late in the first half of Super Bowl 52 will be remembered as one of the gutsiest calls in sports history.

But there's much more to Foles' success than the Super Bowl.

Foles holds the Eagles' record for passing yards in a game with 471, which he set in a Dec. 23 game against the Houston Texans. The next week, Foles tied an NFL record for consecutive completions in a game with 25 against Washington. The Eagles' 24-0 win that day clinched a playoff berth.

Foles had taken over a few weeks earlier for Carson Wentz, who was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back. Foles then led the Eagles to a wildcard-round playoff win over the Bears in Chicago, before the Eagles' season ended the next week in a loss to the Saints in New Orleans.

Foles, of course, is much more known for his work the season before replacing an injured Wentz, who tore his ACL in a Dec. 10, 2017, game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Foles led the Eagles to the game-clinching field goal that day in their 43-35 win. He also led the Eagles to two straight playoff victories before his game for the ages in the Super Bowl.

But Foles was remarkable even early in his career.

In his rookie season of 2012, he replaced an injured Michael Vick, who suffered a concussion. Foles' first NFL start didn't go very well in a 31-6 loss to Washington on Nov. 18, when Foles threw two interceptions. Things didn't get much better until Foles threw a last-second touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin on Dec. 9 against Tampa Bay, leading the Eagles to an improbable 23-21 win.

That snapped a nine-game losing streak that ultimately cost Andy Reid his job. Foles started the final three games of the season even though Vick was cleared to return.

Chip Kelly replaced Reid in 2013. Vick won the starting job that summer. But five games into that season, Vick was injured again, and Foles replaced him.

This time, Foles went on to have one of the best seasons for a quarterback in NFL history.

Foles tied an NFL record with seven touchdown passes in a 49-21 win over the then-Oakland Raiders on Nov. 3. Foles threw for 406 yards in that game and had a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Naturally, Foles held onto the job even when Vick was cleared to return.

Foles finished that season with a passer rating of 119.0, the third highest in NFL history at the time. He threw 27 touchdown passes against just 2 interceptions.

Foles was named the Eagles' quarterback to start the 2014 season. He led them to a 6-2 record before breaking his collarbone against the Texans. Foles missed the rest of that season. The following spring, Kelly traded Foles and a second-round pick to the Rams in exchange for quarterback Sam Bradford.

Foles floundered with the Rams, losing his job late in the season. He admitted that he contemplated retirement after that season, then decided to give it one last shot as a backup with Reid in Kansas City. Back then, Alex Smith was the Chiefs' quarterback. Foles got into only three games that season, starting one.

EAGLES DEPTH CHART: Can Jalen Carter start Week 1? Yes, but only if he does this

BRYCE IS BACK: Why Bryce Harper made manager 'a little nervous’ as Phillies deal with a bigger problem

The Eagles then signed Foles in the spring of 2017 to back up Wentz, who was the Eagles' first-round pick (No. 2 overall) in the 2016 draft. During those two seasons, Foles went 6-2 as a starter in the regular season and 4-1 during the playoffs.

But in the spring of 2019, the Eagles decided to let Foles become a free agent while committing to Wentz with a four-year contract extension worth as much as $128 million. It was the biggest contract in NFL history at the time.

Many fans were angered by the decision to let Foles go, but the Eagles couldn't afford to keep two high-priced quarterbacks. Foles ended up signing a four-year deal worth as much as $88 million with the Jaguars.

That didn't work out either.

Foles injured his shoulder in the season opener and missed eight games with Gardner Minshew taking over. When Foles struggled upon his return, Minshew kept the job for the rest of that season. After the season, the Jaguars traded Foles to the Bears, where he once again alternated between starting and backing up.

He spent last season with the Colts, reuniting with head coach Frank Reich, who was the Eagles' offensive coordinator during the Super Bowl season.

That, too, didn't go well. Reich was fired midway through the season, and Foles was ineffective, then was injured, when given the chance to start.

Interestingly enough, the Colts hired ex-Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their head coach in March. The Colts signed Minshew as a free agent, then drafted Anthony Richardson No. 4 overall in the NFL draft.

In all, Foles has thrown for 14,227 yards with 82 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He was selected to the Pro Bowl with the Eagles in 2013. In five seasons in Philadelphia, Foles went 21-11 as a starter. He threw for 8,703 yards with 58 TDs and 23 INTs.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: As Nick Foles hints retiring, his 'Philly Special' Eagles legacy lives