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Nick Foles breaks even, if he makes it to Week One

Chiefs Camp Football

Newly acquired quarterback Nick Foles practices drills during Kansas City Chiefs practice at the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex at Missouri Western State University Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 in St. Joseph, Mo. (Dougal Brownlie/The St. Joseph News-Press via AP)

AP

Quarterback Nick Foles is Even Steven. Assuming he makes it onto his new team’s 53-man roster.

As PFT reported before Foles signed with the Chiefs, Foles agreed to reduce his fully-guaranteed base salary from $1.75 million to $1 million in order to secure his release from the Rams. Adam Schefter of ESPN recently reported that Foles’ base salary for 2016 will be $1.75 million.

If it’s not guaranteed (and the report doesn’t indicate that it is), Foles will need to make the 53-man roster and stick around until Week One. At that point, the base salary becomes guaranteed as a practical matter.

Although the early returns for Foles have been positive, the Chiefs have yet to dump one of the four quarterbacks previously on the roster. Currently, they have five. Presumably, two will end up being released.

The Rams undoubtedly are rooting for Foles. If his salary becomes fully guaranteed, the Rams will wipe him off the books completely, avoiding the $1 million the Rams otherwise would owe Foles.

Foles also has “incentives,” per Schefter, but it’s unclear whether they are technically incentives (which would pay him more for performance in 2016) or escalators (which would increase his salary for 2017 based on accomplishments in 2016) or both. Schefter reports that Foles’ salary for 2016 can range from $6.75 million to $16 million.

The specific triggers haven’t been reported. Those factors will go a long way toward determining whether Foles has a realistic chance of earning them -- and whether the door is somehow open for Foles to supplant Alex Smith as the starter. Indeed, if the Chiefs are going to pay Foles $16.75 million in 2017, he won’t be standing on the sidelines.