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Nick Foles Will Retire As An Eagle On September 16th

Author and Dylan MacKinnon
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Quarterback Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots, 41-33, in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Nick Foles is a legendary figure in Eagles history. Is he the greatest QB in franchise history? no. In fact, he spent more time as a backup here than he did as a starter. But he is the only QB to ever lead this team to a Super Bowl win. And he didn’t just tag along on a great team, he was the best player on that team in the NFC Championship Game and in the Super Bowl. He outdueled the greatest QB in NFL history to get this city a parade.

Now, he is calling it a career, and he is going to do it as an Eagle. Nick Foles announced that he will officially retire from the game this season. He will do so as an Eagle in a ceremony during the Eagles Home Opener this season against the Falcons on September 16th.

The Greatest Play In Eagles History

The Eagles have been around for a long time, but for most of that time they had no Super Bowls. For decades it was the shadow hanging over the franchise. Nick Foles put that to an end though.

In doing so, he also had what most will agree is the greatest play in Eagles history, The Philly Special. They were up 15-12 in the 2nd quarter, but a drive had seemingly stalled in the Red Zone. It was 4th and goal. They could have kicked a FG, but then it would still be just a 1 TD game against Tom Brady. Not ideal.

Then Nick Foles said those immortal words, “You want Philly Philly?”

Doug Pederson did want Philly Philly. They went for it on 4th down and called one of the best trick plays in NFL history. Nick Foles motioned out to his right, Corey Clement took the direct snap, he handed it to Trey Burton, who found Nick Foles of all people in the end zone for the TD.

It was the perfect play. The type of highlight that will still get played a decade, and even 3 decades from now. When people put out their lists of the best plays in NFL history, it will always be in the mix to make the top 10.

Nick Foles Calls It A Career

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after a 1-yard touchdown reception against the New England Patriots during the second quarter in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Outside of those two games, and one great season earlier in his career where he threw 27 TDs to just 2 interceptions, it never really worked out for Nick Foles as a starter. He was eventually replaced in Philly by Sam Bradford, which obviously did not go well here. With the Rams he never got going, he spent time as the backup in Kansas City, then returned here.

Even after the Super Bowl, and another Eagles playoff run where he filled in for Wentz, things didn’t work out for him in Jacksonville, Chicago, or Indy. There was magic when he was here though. I don’t know why it didn’t work out in other places. But in Philly, he was a legend.

He will always have the run in 2017. He will always have Philly-Philly. He will always have a 7 TD performance against the Raiders. He will always be the 1st QB in Eagles history to lead them to the promised land. And now, he will forever be an Eagle.

In the Eagles official press release, Nick Foles put out the following statement

“The City of Brotherly Love has always felt like home to me as an NFL player. Philadelphia is a city I truly love, and it has been an honor to wear the Eagles jersey. Thank you, Philadelphia, for embracing me and making me a part of your family forever. Your love and support have meant the world. Fly, Eagles, Fly!”

Congrats on the career Nick. We can’t wait to see you honored on September 16th.

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Dylan MacKinnon is The Digital Content Coordinator For 97.5 The Fanatic. he has been an Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, and Flyers fan his whole life. He graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelors in Journalism. Dylan has worked at the Fanatic since 2016, starting as an Intern, moving to the Street team, and eventually was hired as an Associate Producer before settling into his current role in the Digital Department. You may hear him referred to on-air as "The D-Train."

9 Nick Foles Memories That Defined a Philadelphia Eagles Legend

  • Nov. 3, 2013: 7 Touchdowns Against Raiders

    Week 7 of the 2013 season didn’t go well for Nick Foles. He coughed up his opportunity to overtake Michael Vick with an atrocious performance in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He left the game early with a concussion after completing just 11 of 29 passes for 80 yards.

    Things changed at the Oakland Coliseum in Week 9. Foles stepped back in for an injured Vick, and all he did was tie an NFL record with 7 touchdowns. He finished 22/28 for 406 yards in a 49-20 victory.

    Foles looked quick and sharp in the pocket two weeks after one of the ugliest performances ever by an Eagles quarterback. He navigated the pocket well. He put the ball in the hands of playmakers LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson. The deep balls he threw had the perfect touch. Riley Cooper even caught three touchdowns that afternoon.

    The 2013 Eagles unexpectedly won the NFC East behind a quarterback who came out of nowhere.

  • NFC Championship Game Vs. Vikings: Foles Fires Strike to Jeffery

    The momentum changed with Patrick Robinson’s interception in the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings on January 21, 2018.

    However, it was the passing attack of Nick Foles that opened the floodgates. The Birds faced a third-and-10 early in the second quarter. Foles navigated the pocket around the overhyped Minnesota defense and hit Alshon Jeffery with a 53-yard bomb.

    When the Eagles pulled away from the Vikings with a dynamic offensive performance, fans recognized that the loss of Carson Wentz didn’t ruin their Super Bowl dreams. They were on a roll, and Foles was ready to use his…manhood…on the biggest stage.

  • NFC Championship Game Vs. Vikings: Flea Flicker Pass to Torrey Smith

    If anyone needed further convincing that it was Philadelphia’s year, Corey Clement (more on him later) tossed the ball back to Foles on a flea flicker in the third quarter.

    The embattled career backup fired his best throw of the night to the back shoulder of Torrey Smith right in front of the endzone pylon for a beautiful 41-yard touchdown.

    Smith, the one free agent signing from the 2017 season who didn’t always look like a perfect fit, had just buried the Vikings in an insurmountable hole. The crowd taunted the sorry Minnesota fans in attendance with a “Foles!” chant to mock the “Skol” chant the visitors desperately tried to work in at Lincoln Financial Field.

    The rout was on, and the Eagles were headed back to the Super Bowl.

  • Super Bowl LII: First Touchdown to Alshon Jeffery

    The Patriots held the Eagles to a field goal on the opening drive, but the first touchdown pass of the game set the stage for one of the great shootouts in Super Bowl history. Jeffery made possibly his best catch in an Eagles uniform with a full extension to beat Eric Rowe for a 34-yard touchdown.

    Not bad for a player who fought through a torn rotator cuff throughout the 2017 season. Foles had the Eagles in business, and he was ready to go toe-to-toe with Tom Brady.

  • Super Bowl LII: The Philly Special

    Not many plays in NFL history have such an iconic name that fans can’t forget.

    Doug Pederson answered Foles’ play call suggestion with a calm demeanor that would’ve suggested a dive play up the middle to kill clock in a preseason game. It came in the same quarter of football that Brady had dropped a fourth down pass on a trick play that resulted in a turnover on downs.

    You know the rest, but it’s never a bad time to relive the direct snap to Corey Clement, the flip to Trey Burton, and the incredible athleticism from a quarterback turning into a wide receiver for the most memorable play of his NFL career.

  • Super Bowl LII: Dropping a Dime To Corey Clement

    Clement finished with 100 yards receiving in Super Bowl LII. It was his 55-yard screen pass that set up the game’s most famous play. However, possibly Foles’ best pass went to Clement for a 22-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

    The precision to hit the undrafted rookie surrounded by three defenders in the back of the endzone made Philadelphia fans forget that Brady and Rob Gronkowski were on a rampage. The Eagles were back up by two scores, and Foles had no intention of backing down from the mighty Patriots.

  • Super Bowl LII: The Winning Drive

    Punts and field position weren’t going to win Super Bowl LII, and Pederson had supreme confidence in his players. When Foles took the ball with under 10 minutes to play and a 33-32 deficit, the Eagles just didn’t seem to consider any scenario that didn’t involve a go-ahead touchdown.

    The most audacious call of the game came on a fourth-and-1 inside their own territory. Foles hit Zach Ert to move the chains and continue one of the most impactful offensive drives in franchise history. He continued with ice water in his veins with sharp completions to Nelson Agholor and Torrey Smith to move the chains.

    The final throw came to Ertz. Foles hit the Pro Bowl tight end in stride for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown. One of the oddest replay reviews you’ll ever see might’ve delayed the inevitable, but the Eagles were ahead in the final minutes.

  • Dec. 23, 2018: Foles Absorbs Jadeveon Clowney Hit, Finds Jeffery

    The 2018 season looked lost until Foles led the Eagles to an upset against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15. They traveled back to Lincoln Financial Field to face the Houston Texans with an NFC Wild Card berth suddenly in sight.

    Foles set a franchise record with 471 yards through the air. A big day from Darren Sproles and a perfect 83-yard deep ball to Nelson Agholor let the Philadelphia crowd know that Foles was back for another miracle run.

    The Eagles coughed up a lead, however, and they needed a late drive to stay in the playoff hunt. Foles faced a third-and-10 backed up in his own territory with under two minutes to play. He dropped in the pocket while one of the fearsome pass rushers in the NFL charged after him looking like he about to wipe out an entire army in his path.

    Foles stood tall in the face of adversity and fired a strike to Alshon Jeffery for 19 yards. Clowney followed through on the hit, making the mistake of leading with his helmet. The personal foul not only bumped the gain from 19 to 34, but it also stopped the clock with an effectual timeout.

    Foles suffered a minor rib injury on the vicious hit. He missed just one snap, and he reentered the game to help the Eagles into position for a game-winning field goal.

  • NFC Divisional Round Vs. Chicago Bears: 4th Down Touchdown Pass to Golden Tate

    You remember the Eagles beating the Chicago Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round after the 2018 season because Cody Parkey’s kick “double doinked” from a slight deflection at the line of scrimmage. You might not remember the way the Eagles took the lead as clearly.

    Foles hadn’t had his best game that day at Soldier Field, but he took the ball trailing 15-10 with just under five minutes left to play and a chance for some more playoff heroics. The Eagles drove 60 yards in 12 plays to go up by one in a true nailbiter. They faced a fourth-and-goal from the two-yard-line with just under a minute left to play.

    The quarterback who everyone called an unlikely hero just a year prior found an even more unlikely hero. Golden Tate caught only 37 passes in his short career with the Eagles, but the most memorable one came at the right time.

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