BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — One team in Super Bowl LII chose to jettison its insurance policy at quarterback at midseason. The other is happily cashing in its security blanket after opening its wallet last March to guard against catastrophe at the sport’s most important position.
Bill Belichick told Patriots fans he had run out of options when he dealt away Jimmy Garoppolo in November. Fortunately, that move paid off as a healthy Tom Brady continued what’s been a magical, MVP-worthy ride to yet another Super Bowl.
But Brady will be opposed by an unlikely foe. Instead of seeing the all-time best QB match throws with a future star in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Carson Wentz, the world will watch what Nick Foles can bring to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.
The Eagles spent $12 million last March to sign Foles for two years. That’s a significant investment for a backup, especially since the Eagles never want to see a potential superstar in Wentz leave the field.
“I remember the phone call (from executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman),” Eagles owner, and Boston native, Jeffrey Lurie said this week, “and we said `We have an opportunity to do this. Do you have any reservations of using this $12 million this way versus on other positions?’ And we both agreed this is absolutely the right thing to do. We never knew it would come to this, but we knew that Nick could win big games for us.”
The Eagles owned firsthand knowledge of the ability of the 29-year old Foles. They drafted him in the third round in 2012 and a year later he took over for the injured Michael Vick and took the Birds on a magical run.
Philly won seven of its last eight games with Foles enjoying a Pro Bowl season. He led the NFL in passing rating after posting an outrageous 27/2 TD-to-interception ratio. The Eagles lost at home in the playoffs to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, but Philly fanatics thought they had their QB of the future.
Those hopes blew up quickly. Midway through the 2014 season, Foles broke his collarbone. The injury sent his career into a tailspin.
In the offseason, the Eagles traded Foles to the Rams in exchange for Sam Bradford. A 7-9 season in 2015 didn’t sell the club on Bradford or Mark Sanchez, so Roseman used the second pick in the 2016 draft (thanks to the clueless Cleveland Browns) on Wentz.
Foles played poorly with the Rams and requested his release after the team drafted Jared Goff with the first overall pick, just ahead of Wentz. He jumped to Kansas City to back up Alex Smith in 2016 and then returned to Philly this season.
When Wentz tore his ACL in Week 13 against the Rams, Foles finally found a chance to get back on the field. He settled into the offense over the regular season’s final three games and then exploded in these playoffs.
The Eagles rode a superb showing by their defense to a 15-10 win over Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons, but then Foles opened everyone’s eyes in the NFC Championship Game win over the Vikings.
Foles picked apart one of the NFL’s supposed best defenses to the tune of three TD passes on 26 of 33 throws. His 141.4 rating was historically good and now he’s the toast of Philadelphia.
The question is which Nick Foles will show up against Brady and the Patriots?
Will he still own that hot hand or revert to being Mr. Backup QB? Can he continue to find impressive tight end Zach Ertz and dangerous wideouts Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor down the field for big plays?
Too much of a spotlight is often shined on the quarterback position, but not in this game. Brady is Brady. You know he’ll play well and the Patriots will put points on the scoreboard.
The same can’t be said for Foles. His sample size is too limited. No one knows how he’ll perform on the big stage in the biggest sporting event in the world but he’ll get his chance to complete a Cinderella story and cash in the Eagles’ fortuitous insurance
If the Eagles do win their very first Super Bowl, Foles will own a slice of fame in the City of Brotherly Love forever. He’ll also become the rare quarterback to win the Lombardi Trophy after starting the season as a backup.
Who is the last QB to pull off this unlikely coup? That would be none other than Tom Brady.