Philadelphia Eagles

The real reason Eagles-Foles reunion didn't work out

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The Greater Philadelphia Area received a collective jolt over the weekend when reports of the Eagles considering a reunion with Nick Foles started swirling about.

Ultimately Foles wound up joining the Colts, which at the time felt unsurprising: the Eagles obviously hold the allure of his Super Bowl organization and a fanbase forever indebted to his miraculous postseason run, but the Colts are coached by the guy who unlocked Foles' potential during those playoffs years ago while the Eagles' coaching staff has been refreshed.

If Foles made the decision, it was hard to blame him.

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But... it sounds like that's not what happened.

ESPN insider and scoopmaster supreme Adam Schefter joined 97.5 The Fanatic's The John Kincade Show for his weekly Wednesday morning appearance, and Schefty had an interesting detail about the dynamics of that near reunion:

"KINCADE: It appears it came down to [the Eagles] and the Colts. Was it just for that kind of veteran steward to help [Hurts] in the film room, to help him on the sidelines, in practice, etc.?

"SCHEFTER: I actually think, when it comes to Nick Foles, it was more of him wanting to come to Philadelphia and the Eagles not necessarily having a spot for him, as much as they like and respect him. I think it was more that way than it was the other way."

Wow.

Eagles legend Nick Foles wanted to return to Philly after a little bouncing around across the league? Right as the juice around this team is reaching critical levels?! That would've tipped the scale. The city would've lost its collective mind and these next three-plus months ahead of Week 1 would've seen hype reach a mythical peak.

This is also a fascinating twist in Foles' story, because you might remember that the Bears tried to send Foles back to Philly about a year ago and he wasn't interested in the idea.

Here's that nugget, from NFL reporter Tyler Dunne's Go Long Substack in May 2021:

"The Bears tried cleansing their hands of the Nick Foles mistake by trading Foles back to Philly. Foles didn’t want to go, one source says, so the Eagles refused to trade for a QB who wouldn’t report."

Hmm.

At the time, it seemed like Foles had decided he didn't want to go back to Philly and possibly tarnish (though he never, ever could) the perfect reputation he has in this city. The Super Bowl run, the incredible redemptive arc, everything - his story with the Birds is 100% crystal. Why risk that?

But now, a year later, Foles seems to have changed his mind and is only headed to Indy instead of Philly because the front office looked at the roster, looked at Foles, and made a tough decision.

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I have a feeling some Eagles fans might be angry at this revelation, but I don't mind it. Foles is 33, and while he led the Bears to a few improbable wins last year he is also clearly on the downslope of his career. It would've been a cool little addition to an already-exciting squad, but Howie Roseman & Co. seem fully focused on building the future and (strange Fletcher Cox decision aside) intent on shedding that nostalgic reputation.

I'm sure Foles will have fun backing up Matt Ryan in Indy, while Hurts and the Eagles look to make it to the playoffs for a second straight season.

And I'm also sure that, at some point in the next few years, Foles will sign a one-day contract with the Eagles to retire and the reception at the Linc will be deafening. It will rock.

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