Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday, ending his pro football career after 11 years.
One of those seasons was spent in Jacksonville after the MVP of Super Bowl LII signed a contract including what was then the largest amount of guaranteed money paid to one player in franchise history.
Foles intends to rejoin the Philadelphia Eagles, the team he shockingly led to a championship, before officially filing his retirement in September.
After much thought and prayer, I’ve decided to retire from the NFL. It’s been an incredible 11-year journey filled with unforgettable moments and amazing people. From being drafted by the Eagles to winning the Super Bowl, every step has been a blessing.
I’m excited to spend more… pic.twitter.com/2uI5az5Eoc
— Nick Foles (@NickFoles) August 8, 2024
The Jaguars handed Foles a four-year, $88 million contract, including $50.1 million guaranteed in 2019, hoping he could lead the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory as he had done for Philadelphia two seasons prior.
But a collarbone injury suffered on his second drive with Jacksonville, during its Week 1 matchup with Kansas City, threw a haymaker into the team’s plans.
Foles went five-of-eight passing for 75 yards before going down with the injury on a touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Chark.
He reassumed the role of starter in Week 11, but on a short leash following the emergence of rookie sensation Gardner Minshew, who threw for 2,285 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in Foles’ near-nine-game absence.
Having committed four turnovers in three games after returning, including three in his third, Foles was benched in favor of Minshew in Week 13 and never threw another pass for Jacksonville.
Foles finished his brief Jaguars stint with a 65.8% completion rate, 736 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Jacksonville traded Foles to Chicago the following March for a 2020 fourth-round NFL draft pick, resulting in an $18.75 million dead salary cap hit for that year.
A 2012 third-round pick by Philadelphia out of Arizona, Foles first rose to prominence with the Eagles by taking over as starter in each of his first two seasons because of injuries to Michael Vick.
Foles peaked as a regular-season passer in 2013, when he tossed 27 touchdown passes compared to two interceptions in 13 games, including 10 starts. He tied the NFL record with seven touchdown passes in a 49-20 win over the Oakland Raiders. His 2,891 passing yards that year are his career high.
But Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly traded Foles to St. Louis after his 2014 season ended on injured reserve, beginning his long game of musical chairs around the NFL.
Foles started 11 games for the Rams in 2015 but was benched twice for poor performance. After the Rams drafted Jared Goff first overall in 2016, Foles asked for his release. He went on to spend that season as a backup with Kansas City.
Foles rejoined the Eagles in 2017 as former first-round pick Carson Wentz’s backup under head coach Doug Pederson.
A Week 14 knee injury to Wentz promoted Foles to the starting role for the Eagles, who had the best record in the NFC at the time. He went 5-1 as the starter in that stretch, throwing for 1,508 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions and hauling in the legendary “Philly Special” touchdown pass against New England in the Super Bowl.
Foles started for the Eagles to begin the 2018 season until Wentz was cleared to play in Week 3. Foles did not attempt another pass until Week 15, when Wentz was sidelined with a year-ending back injury.
He guided the Eagles on a three-game winning streak to end the campaign, with Philadelphia advancing to the NFC divisional round before a 20-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Including the postseason, Foles passed for 1,880 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2018.
Foles declined a $20 million option from Philadelphia the following offseason, leading him to hit free agency and sign his megadeal with the Jaguars.
After his time in Jacksonville, Foles spent two seasons with Chicago and one with the Jaguars’ AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts. He appeared in 13 games, including one against the Jaguars with the Bears, and made 10 starts in that stretch.
Over 11 seasons with six teams, Foles completed 62.4% of his passes (1,302 of 2,087) for 14,227 yards with 82 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He also rushed 151 times for 407 yards and six scores.
