Eagles Give Foles a ‘Reward’
PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - It's not exactly a "financial apology" but the Eagles gave Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles a check for $2 million after restructuring the backup quarterback's contract.
The reworked deal also includes a mutual team option for the 2019 season, one that enables Foles or the team to back out of the contract and the veteran to become a free agent.
Foles had already earned all $7 million of the money that was guaranteed to him on his original deal signed before the 2017 season to be Carson Wentz's backup.
Foles, of course, then led Philadelphia to its first Super Bowl title after Wentz went down with a torn ACL and LCL against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 10.
While Foles had his hiccups down the stretch of the regular season, particularly against Oakland and Dallas, he was brilliant in the postseason, especially against Minnesota in the NFC Championship Game and New England in Super Bowl LII.
The Eagles had been listening to trade offers for Foles but have been asking for a king's ransom in return and no one has been willing to meet the asking price.
The issue from Foles' perspective is that a trade elsewhere would have likely been accompanied by a new deal for significantly more money.
That's where the financial apology or "reward" as the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo put it, comes in. Foles also received significant incentives reachable if he's forced to start again.
That said, the plan remains the same at the NovaCare Complex and that's Carson Wentz against Atlanta on Sept. 6.
-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen