August 8, 2024   4 MIN READ

Foles Hangs Up Cleats

2017 Super Bowl MVP To Be Honored At Linc Opener

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Former Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, Most Valuable Player of the franchise’s first and only Super Bowl win in 2017, officially retired on Thursday and will be honored at the 2024 home opener.

Foles announced the retirement his social media pages, explaining his decision to retire after 11 seasons and to retire as a member of the team with which he enjoyed hist most success:

“From the first day I was born, my dad put a football in my hand – he must have known something,” Foles said in the video, later adding a special thanks to Eagles fans.

“Specifically, thank you to the Philadelphia Eagles fans,” he said. “Thank you for all your support from 2012, when I was drafted, to 2017, when I came back. You truly made playing in Philadelphia the most special experience in my football career.”

Nick Foles

ITB PHOTO: Nick Foles, MVP of the Eagles’ only Super Bowl win, announced his retirement after 11 seasons.

The Eagles announced that Foles will be honored at the Sept. 16 home opener against the Falcons and released a statement praising Foles as the “ultimate competitor” and ideal representation of a Philadelphia sports figure.

“Nick Foles always carried himself with the utmost class and integrity, demonstrating through his actions, both on and off the field, what it meant to be a Philadelphia Eagle,”  team chairman Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.

“He was the ultimate competitor, an inspiring teammate, a true representative of our city, and of course, a Super Bowl champion. As important as he was under center, it was his positive demeanor, approachability, and kindness toward others that resonated with everyone and continues to speak to his great character. We congratulate the Foles family on Nick’s celebrated career and retirement.”

The Eagles used a third-round pick on Foles, who played at Arizona, in 2012. He was the backup to Mike Vick as a rookie but started six games that season for a bad Eagles team that finished 4-12 and fired coach Andy Reid after the year.

Foles entered 2013 as the backup to Vick again, with Chip Kelly now coaching the team, but injuries to Vick thrust Foles into the starting role again. He went 8-2 as a starter and made the Pro Bowl, leading the Eagles to an NFC East title before losing at home to the Saints in an NFC Wild Card game.

Foles and the Eagles started off 6-2 in 2014 before an injury ended his season. He was then sent by Kelly to the Rams in the offseason in a trade for quarterback Sam Bradford.

Foles lasted just one year with the Rams and spent 2016 as a backup in Kansas City before rejoining the Eagles in 2017 under coach Doug Pederson as a backup to Carson Wentz, who guided the Eagles to an 11-2 record before suffering an ACL tear that ended his MVP-caliber season.

Foles stepped back into the starting role in place of Wentz and finished the mission, passing for 352 yards and three touchdowns in an NFC Championship blowout of the Vikings at the Linc before throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns to out-duel Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII, a 41-33 Eagles win.

Foles returned to his role backing up Wentz in 2018 but started the final five games as Wentz suffered a back injury and led the Eagles to an upset of the Bears at Soldier Field in an NFC Wild Card game before losing to the Saints in the divisional round.

Foles played for the Jaguars, Bears and Colts over the next three seasons, starting just 10 games.

In 2013, in just his ninth start, Foles threw seven touchdowns against the Raiders in Oakland to become one of seven quarterbacks  – now eight – to do that in a single game.

Foles joined Hall of Fame quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Y.A. Tittle as the only three who’ve thrown seven touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game.

Foles remains the franchise leader in passer rating (93.2) and is third all-time in completion percentage (62.9). His 8,703 passing yards for the Eagles ranks 10th all-time and his 58 touchdowns in 40 games ranks ninth.

– Geoff Mosher (@geoffmoshernfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

About The Author

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Geoff Mosher is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years experience covering the Eagles, the NFL and other college and pro sports across several different multimedia platforms. He is co-host of the acclaimed Inside the Birds podcast, the leading podcast for intel on the Philadelphia Eagles, and co-host on 97.3 ESPN's drive-time show. He has also hosted on Philadelphia's sports-talk station, 94.1 WIP and 97.5 The Fanatic. Geoff was the lead Eagles Insider from 2012-2015 for NBC Sports Philadelphia, where he wrote for the website and appeared daily on the station's TV shows, including Quick Slants, Philly Sports Talk, Eagles Pregame/Postgame Live and Eagles Extra. Prior to joining NBC Sports, Geoff worked the Eagles beat from 2005-2012 for the Wilmington News Journal, where he broke several major news stories and also won an Associated Press Sports Editors award under the category of Breaking News for his coverage of the sudden death of Phillies play by play broadcaster Harry Kalas. Geoff has appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter, NFL Network, NBC Sports Network, FOX29, 6ABC and has conducted interviews for Sirius/XM NFL radio and countless other radio stations across the country.

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