The Chicago Bears decided to move on from quarterback Nick Foles recently, and the former Super Bowl MVP went on to sign with the Indianapolis Colts.
However, the team he won the Super Bowl with, the Philadelphia Eagles, was reportedly one of the finalists. And one ESPN NFL insider is reporting on why a reunion between the two didn't occur.
Adam Schefter made his weekly appearance on The John Kincade Show on Wednesday, and over the course of the show, the topic of the veteran QB arose.
"It appears it came down to [the Eagles] and the Colts. Was it just for that kind of veteran steward to help [Hurts] in the film room, to help him on the sidelines, in practice, etc.?" Kincade asked.
Schefter responded, "I actually think, when it comes to Nick Foles, it was more of him wanting to come to Philadelphia and the Eagles not necessarily having a spot for him, as much as they like and respect him. I think it was more that way than it was the other way."
The Eagles have Jalen Hurts and Gardner Minshew entrenched as the starter and backup respectively. Then, the team signed Nevada signal-caller Carson Strong in undrafted free agency.
This news comes as a bit of an eyebrow-raiser. The idea that Foles wanted to return to the team that made him into a bit of a cult hero isn't shocking. The idea that the Eagles weren't as receptive to the move as he was is a surprise.
However, this interest in a reunion on Foles' behalf may only be a recent thing. According to NFL reporter Tyler Dunne, Philadelphia wanted to bring back their former Super Bowl champion a year ago, but it was Foles who wasn't up for it.
"The Bears tried cleansing their hands of the Nick Foles mistake by trading Foles back to Philly. Foles didn’t want to go, one source says, so the Eagles refused to trade for a QB who wouldn’t report," Dunne wrote
Foles is known in Philly for his magical run to Super Bowl LII. He came in for an injured Carson Wentz following Week 14, and kept the Eagles on track to make the playoffs.
He defeated the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings to advance to the Super Bowl, and he had a daunting task in front of him: taking down Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Despite Brady throwing for 505 yards, Foles' 373 yards and three touchdowns were enough to bring the championship to the City of Brotherly Love.
Foles also caught a touchdown pass in that game:
The move to Indy does give Foles a chance to potentially start sometime down the line should fellow offseason acquisition Matt Ryan struggle or get injured.
Another big reason for the move is Indianapolis' head coach, Frank Reich. Reich was the offensive coordinator the year Foles and the Eagles won it all. The 60-year-old coach knows how to get the most out of Foles, and that familiarity likely factored into the veteran quarterback's decision.
