Fish out your Nick Foles jersey, Philadelphia Eagles fans

Is there any quarterback in Philadelphia Eagles history as undyingly popular as Nick Foles?

I know that might sound like a crazy question, and in a way it is, but considering how polarizing every quarterback the team has employed since Randall Cunningham, maybe even Ron Jaworski has been to at least some segment of the fanbase, Foles’ status is a glowing outlier in a sea of malaise.

For some, the question of what would have happened if Foles remained at quarterback in 2018 will forever hang over the franchise. Sure, he’s ultimately backed up more games than he’s started in a midnight green uniform behind multiple different quarterbacks, but Foles has that 27-2 season, the six touchdown game, and a pair of playoff berths under his belt to back up that case.

Factor in a very NSFW nickname, and Foles couldn’t have been more tailor-made for the City of Brotherly Love if he was born on Chestnut Street and spent his summers down the shore.

Will we ever see Nick Foles in a Philadelphia Eagles jersey again? Yes, I can almost guarantee he will be back, though probably not as a player, but hey, if you want to see old St. Nick sling it one more time, you’re in luck, as Matt Nagy is giving fans a late Christmas gift this Sunday when the Chicago Bears take on the Seattle Seahawks.

Tune into the Bears-Seahawks game this week, Philadelphia Eagles fans.

Assuming Nick Foles ultimately does take the field for the Chicago Bears in Week 16, it’ll mark one of the weirdest runs to a starting spot in recent memory, which is saying a lot, considering the uniqueness of the 2021 NFL season.

Initially acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fourth-round pick in 2020 to serve as a locker room mentor/on-field competitor for ex-first round pick/”Mr. Biscuit” himself, Mitchell Trubisky. Foles appeared in nine games with seven starts and led the Bears to a 2-5 record during an incredibly underwhelming 8-8 season.

Though there was speculation that Foles would be dealt during the offseason after Chicago opted to retool their QBs room with Andy Dalton and first-round pick Justin Fields – though reportedly not back to Philly, Foles nixed that idea – 9 ultimately stuck around for the final year of his deal and has yet to appear in a game so far this season.

Keyword: So far.

With Dalton out with a groin injury and Fields hampered by a groin injury, Nagy has already named Foles the team starter versus the Seattle Seahawks and may or may not have to rely on Virginia Tech UDFA Ryan Willis coming off the practice squad as his backup if Fileds is too injured to go against the 6-9 Seattle Seahawks. Foles will be facing off against one of the not-so-goodest – read: statistically worst – secondaries in the NFL and might just help to secure the Bears their fifth win of the season, even if that ultimately isn’t enough to save Nagy’s job long-term.

Barring a surprising run at the tender age of 33 – which is by no means old by NFL standards – Nick Foles’ legacy is more or less set. He has a literal statue in front of the Linc, a jersey that still likely sells well in the pro shops – via custom orders – and has more than a few three-year-olds named after in the greater Philadelphia area. When his playing days are done, he’ll have his choice of Wawa, Hoffman Ford, and Cure Auto Insurance commercials and will never have to buy a beer in the City of Brotherly Love ever again, assuming Foles actually likes beer. But hey, while he’s still playing, why not catch a game and relive the good old days, especially since it comes on directly after the Philadelphia Eagles’ game against the New York Giants.