Nick Foles announced Thursday that he has decided to retire after an 11-year career as an NFL quarterback. And there’s only one team he could retire with: the Philadelphia Eagles.
After much thought and prayer, I have decided to retire from the NFL. It has been an incredible 11-year journey filled with unforgettable moments and wonderful people. From being drafted by the Eagles to winning the Super Bowl, every step has been a blessing.
I’m excited to spend more time… image.twitter.com/2uI5az5Eoc
— Nick Foles (@NickFoles) August 8, 2024
Ending where it all began.
Nick Foles will officially retire from the NFL as an Eagle when he returns to Philadelphia on Monday, September 16 for our home opener against the Falcons. photo.twitter.com/dgVvfnv3ua
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 8, 2024
Foles, 35, became an instant legend in Philadelphia after leading the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl LII, but that’s only part of what makes his career so strange and unlikely to be repeated. The Eagles drafted him in 2012 in the third round out of Arizona and he spent just one season under head coach Andy Reid before Reid was fired and replaced by Chip Kelly. Kelly didn’t have much success in Philadelphia, but choosing Foles to replace an injured Michael Vick in 2013 was one of his best decisions.
During that season, Foles played like a man possessed. He threw seven touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9, tying an NFL record. He finished the season with 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions. His passer rating was 119.2, which in 2013 was the third best of all time (Currently ranked fourth). He led the Eagles to a division title and made the Pro Bowl for the first (and only) time in his career.
That was supposed to be Foles’ breakout season, but he struggled in 2014. The Eagles traded him to the St. Louis Rams in early 2015, but his struggles continued and he was granted his release (which he requested) before the 2016 season.
Foles returns to Philadelphia and makes history
Foles was seriously considering retiring from the NFL after his rocky stint with the Rams, but decided to sign a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. When they declined his second-year option at the end of the season, he found a new home with the Eagles in 2017. The decision to sign Foles as a backup to quarterback Carson Wentz may be the most important in Eagles history, because it ended up changing everything.
Foles replaced Wentz after Wentz tore his ACL in Week 14 and finished the game with a win that clinched the division title, which the Eagles hadn’t had since Foles’ magical 2013 season. Wentz was in the midst of an MVP season, and fans were convinced the Eagles couldn’t succeed without him under center.
How wrong they (and everyone) were. Foles regained some of his 2013 form, and along with a perfectly designed offense and a brick-wall defense, the Eagles didn’t lose any momentum after Foles took over as the starter. He helped lead them to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2004 season. The Eagles lost that old Super Bowl to the New England Patriots, who ended up being their opponent in Super Bowl LII.
Foles’ performance in Super Bowl LII ensured that history would not repeat itself. The Eagles proved superior to the Patriots in almost every aspect that night, but Foles became a legend with a two-word phrase: “Philly Philly.” He and head coach Doug Pederson took a huge gamble in the final minute of the first half when they called the Philly Special, the now-famous play in which Foles lined up at quarterback but slid before the snap, which left him completely unprotected and open to run into the end zone and catch the pass in the end zone. It is now considered one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.
Foles, who now has a statue outside Lincoln Financial Field depicting him and Pederson making the “Philly Philly” call, was named Super Bowl LII MVP after the Eagles won 41-33. He spent one more season with the Eagles before spending his final four NFL seasons with three different teams (Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts). His decision to retire came after he was unable to stick with one team for the entirety of 2023.
Foles was never able to find sustained success throughout his career no matter where he was, but he was able to find ways to elevate himself during his two stints in Philadelphia, stints that arguably allowed him to extend his career.
That’s what makes his 11 years in the NFL so wonderfully strange and unrepeatable. He’s a career backup who has a statue outside a stadium that represents a truly legendary moment in Super Bowl history. He fulfilled the dreams of millions of Eagles fans by bringing the city of Philadelphia its first Super Bowl championship. He helped change the Eagles’ narrative from hapless losers who fumble the ball to a team that actually knows what it’s doing. For that, Foles will forever be celebrated (and never charged for a drink again) in the City of Brotherly Love.