Stay or Go? The League Will Decide

New York, N.Y.- Two years ago, Nick Foles thought about retiring from the NFL but decided to give it one more shot. That shot turned into besting the greatest quarterback to ever play the game and delivering the first Super Bowl to the city of Philadelphia. Now there is another decision regarding the future of the Super Bowl MVP, and this time it’s being made by the Eagles.

With the great play from the six-year NFL vet, the question now being asked is what the Eagles should do with their star backup quarterback. Should they keep Foles as a capable backup in case Wentz isn’t ready by Week 1 or trade him now while his value is at its highest? While this seems like a decision that will be made strictly by the Super Bowl champs, I think instead it will be dictated by the 31 other NFL teams.

Currently, there are seven teams (potentially eight depending on what the Jaguars decide to do with Blake Bortles) that are in the market for a quarterback, with the assumption that the Saints will re-sign Drew Brees. Four of these teams are drafting in the top six, with the presumption being that they will try to find the next franchise quarterback. The quarterback market is flooded with a talented incoming draft class and free agents, headlined by Kirk Cousins and the three Vikings quarterbacks.

The case to be made for trading Foles is that he has performed well on the biggest stage, something none of these other quarterbacks can claim, including beating free agent Case Keenum head-to-head. Another upside for teams to take a flyer on the Arizona graduate is that his price tag is significantly lower than anyone else on the market, commanding only a $7.6 million cap hit for the 2018 season. While the acquisition would cost draft picks, teams in need of a quarterback can get the 29-year-old while also having money to address other positions.

The downside is taking a risk on such a streaky player. Did Doug Pederson uncover Foles’s potential with the RPO scheme or was it just lightning in a bottle? Is the player we saw the last two and a half games the real deal or is the Raiders loss and the first half of the Cowboys game telling signs of the ups and downs that will be had with Foles as your signal caller.

If you are Pederson or general manager Howie Roseman, there’s really no wrong answer here. If they decide to hold onto the Super Bowl MVP, you have a more than capable backup that can start the season to ensure Wentz is totally healthy from his ACL tear. If they decide to seek a trade, there’s a good possibility teams would be willing to sacrifice a first round pick in order to capture the playoff magic Foles put on display, which could help fill a void in a year where Philadelphia’s cap space for the 2018 season is minuscule.

Two teams come to mind immediately that could be just a quarterback away from contention. The Broncos and the Cardinals both have talented rosters and will be looking for a new signal caller in 2018. While Denver at number five in the draft can look for the franchise quarterback via the draft, Arizona at pick No. 15 could potentially be too far down to take the guy they like. This opens up an avenue for Foles, who would be a much cheaper option financially than Cousins.

While it is a tough proposition to trade away a guy who stepped up in the biggest way possible when the season seemed all but lost, the NFL after all is a business and the betterment of the team is always the number one concern. The Eagles have to be smart and realize if they are getting pennies on the dollar for their backup, it doesn’t hurt to hold onto six-year NFL vet as a safety net in case Wentz isn’t totally healthy by the time the season starts.