Nick Foles was the Philadelphia Eagles’ hero when he led them to NFL Super Bowl LII victory.
Brought in as the back up to then-starting quarterback Carson Wentz in 2017 NFL free agency, Foles was needed in relief in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams after Wentz suffered a devastating torn ACL injury.
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Foles led the Philadelphia Eagles to their first ever Super Bowl victoryCredit: Getty
Leading the Eagles to a resounding 43-35 victory over the Rams, Philadelphia clinched the NFC East title for the first time since 2013.
His first start then followed in Week 15, where Foles – who was initially drafted by the Eagles in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft – threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns.
Foles would then lead Philadelphia on a magical run in the post-season, where they defeated the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings on their way to reaching Super Bowl LII.
Only the New England Patriots dynasty with arguably the greatest NFL quarterback of all time in Tom Brady and head coach stalwart Bill Belichick stood in The Birds’ way of lifting their first Vince Lombardi trophy in franchise history.
Despite Brady throwing for 505 yards and three touchdowns in the high-scoring affair, it was Foles who led his team to victory.
Having thrown 373 yards on 28-for-42 passing, Foles finished the contest having thrown for three touchdowns and an interception.
However, when there is high risk, there can be high reward, and it just so happened that his pitch to head coach Doug Pederson to call the ‘Philly Special’ play ultimately proved to be the winner.
The trick play, which started with running back Corey Clement taking a direct snap, was then pitched out to tight end Trey Burton, who had been targeted just once in the entire contest.
The lack of touches didn’t deter him, though, with Burton throwing a pass out wide to an open Foles for the crucial game-winning touchdown, which left the Patriots defense scratching their heads over how they got so caught out.
The trick play is now ingrained deep into Philadelphia’s Super Bowl lore as it marked the foundations for the Eagles to go on and become the NFC powerhouse that they are today.
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Foles caught the winning touchdown in Super Bowl while also throwing for three othersCredit: Getty
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Today’s Eagles, led by QB Jalen Hurts and RB Saquon Barkley, are bidding to become a dynasty of their ownCredit: Getty
With a new generation of Eagles, including superstars Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the receiving corps of DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, Philadelphia have since gone on to win their second title, doing so in dominant fashion against the NFL’s latest dynasty in Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Whilst Philadelphia is now establishing themselves as one of the league’s best teams, Foles fell from hero to zero rapidly, and has since hung up his cleats for good.
Off the back of his Super Bowl-winning campaign, Foles would feature just five more times for the Eagles in the 2018 regular season after Wentz returned to the field.
One of those starts came in Week 16 against the Houston Texans, breaking Donovan McNabb’s record for most passing yards by an Eagles quarterback in a single game, with 471 yards and four touchdown passes.
Though he led them to the 2018 NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, he was unable to replicate his success, and their run ended at the hands of a 20-14 loss against the New Orleans Saints.
Unbeknownst to anybody around the league at the time, this would be the last appearance Foles would make in the midnight green uniform, as he declined his $20 million option and became a free agent that off-season.
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Foles endured a torrid time with Jacksonville despite signing a huge contractCredit: Getty
As a result of his previous success, the Jacksonville Jaguars – who were in desperate need of a starting quarterback due to having then-rookie Gardner Minshew next up on the depth chart – opted to sign Foles on a lucrative four-year, $88 million deal.
This was eight-times the amount of his contract at Philadelphia.
The deal also included $50.1 million guaranteed, and with incentives, the deal could pay up to $102 million.
Named the starter for the Jags’ Week 1 clash against the Chiefs, Foles suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter, and wound up on injured reserve.
He would miss all but three more games of the 2019 campaign.
Jags head coach Doug Marrone later announced, after their Week 13 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that Foles would be benched for Minshew after three straight losses.
After an 0-4 record, in which he threw just 736 yards passing, three passing touchdowns and two interceptions, Foles never played another down for the Duval County outfit.
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Foles was benched by the Jaguars for then-rookie QB Gardner MinshewCredit: Getty
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After a short stint with the Bears, Foles’ last appearance on an NFL field came for the Colts in 2022Credit: Getty
In the 2020 off-season, the Jaguars sent Foles packing to Chicago after he was traded to the Chicago Bears for a compensatory fourth-round pick.
His time in the NFL would never quite be the same after that.
Featuring just 10 times – eight of which were starts – for the Bears in 2020 and 2021 combined, Foles completed 65.1 percent of his passes and recorded just 2,102 total yards, 11 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
The NFL journeyman was then waived in May 2022 which led many to consider his lucrative contract as one of the very worst in NFL history.
Eventually winding up with the Indianapolis Colts, Foles served as the back up quarterback to the 2026 NFL MVP, Matt Ryan.
He would, however, make just two starts for the Colts, both coming toward the end of the 2022 season, and in familiar fashion, he was injured in the Colts’ Week 17 loss to the New York Giants.
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That would be the final time he ever took to an NFL field as he was waived following the conclusion of the 2022 season, and would go unsigned in 2023.
However, Foles ensured that he retired on his own terms, by going full circle and retiring with the team who drafted him, and who he eventually led to Super Bowl glory in 2024.
Although his career was mainly spent serving as a backup to others and marred by injury, Foles came up trumps in arguably the biggest – and greatest – moment of his career.
Without the suggestion by Foles of the ‘Philly Special’ and without him at the helm, the Eagles winning Super Bowl LII may never have been possible.
Being the first to bring a championship to the city, Foles will forever be a Philadelphia Eagles legend.
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