QB Nick Foles, Philadelphia legend, retiring with Eagles after 11-year career

Nick Foles announced Thursday that he's retiring after an 11-year career as an NFL quarterback. And there's only one team he could retire with: the Philadelphia Eagles.

Foles, 35, became an instant legend in Philadelphia after leading the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl LII, but that's only part of what makes his career so strange and unlikely to be replicated. The Eagles drafted him in 2012 in the third round out of Arizona, and he spent just one season under head coach Andy Reid before Reid was fired and replaced with Chip Kelly. Kelly didn't find much success in Philly, but picking Foles to replace an injured Michael Vick in 2013 was one of his best decisions.

During that season, Foles played like a man possessed. He threw seven touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9, tying an NFL record. He ended the season with 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. His passer rating was 119.2, which in 2013 was third-best all time (and currently fourth-best). He led the Eagles to a division title and made the Pro Bowl for the first (and only) time in his career.

That was supposed to be Foles' breakout season, but he struggled in 2014. The Eagles traded him to the St. Louis Rams in early 2015, but his struggles continued, and he was granted his release (which he requested) before the 2016 season.

Foles returns to Philly and enters history

Foles was seriously considering retiring from the NFL after his rough stint with the Rams, but decided to sign a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. When they declined his second-year option at the end of the season, he found a home back with the Eagles in 2017. The decision to sign Foles as QB Carson Wentz's backup may be the most consequential in Eagles history, because it ended up changing everything.

Foles took over for Wentz after Wentz tore his ACL in Week 14, finishing the game with a win and securing the division title, which the Eagles hadn't held since Foles' magical 2013 season. Wentz was in the midst of an MVP-level season, and fans were convinced the Eagles wouldn't succeed without him under center.

How wrong they — and everyone — were. Foles found some of his 2013 form, and alongside a perfectly crafted offense and a brick-wall defense the Eagles didn't lose a single bit of momentum after Foles took over as the starter. He helped lead them all the way to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2004 season. The Eagles lost that Super Bowl to the New England Patriots, who ended up being their opponent in Super Bowl LII.

Foles' performance in Super Bowl LII ensured that history wouldn't repeat itself. The Eagles showed themselves to be superior to the Patriots that night, but Foles became a legend with one two-word phrase: "Philly Philly." He and head coach Doug Pederson took a major gamble in the final minute of the first half when they called up the Philly Special, the now-famous play in which Foles lined up at quarterback only to slide over before the snap, which left him completely undefended and open to run into the end zone and catch the pass. It is considered one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

Foles, who now has a statue outside Lincoln Financial Field that depicts him and Pederson making the "Philly Philly" call, was named MVP of Super Bowl LII after the Eagles won 41-33. He spent one more season with the Eagles before spending his final four NFL seasons with three different teams (Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts). His decision to retire came after he wasn't able to catch on with a team for the entirety of 2023.

Foles was never able to find sustained success over his career no matter where he was, but he was able to find ways to elevate himself during his two stints in Philly — stints that arguably allowed him to extend his career.

That's what makes his 11 years in the NFL so wonderfully weird and unrepeatable. He's a career backup who has a statue outside of a stadium depicting a truly legendary moment in Super Bowl history. He fulfilled the dreams of millions of Eagles fans by bringing the city of Philadelphia its first Super Bowl championship. He helped change the narrative of the Eagles from hapless bag-fumbling losers to a team that actually knows what it's doing. For that, Foles will forever be celebrated (and never charged for a drink again) in the City of Brotherly Love.