Report: Jaguars to sign Nick Foles to 4-year, $88 million deal

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Nick Foles have come to an agreement on a deal that will pay the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback $88 million over the next four years.

As news broke of the Jacksonville Jaguars coming to an agreement with Nick Foles on a four-year, $88 million there is a realization that the team that has had issues with the quarterback position for nearly a decade may have finally found some stability.

The Jaguars got the player they wanted. Like in free agency the past three seasons, Jacksonville makes a splash with the hope of once again becoming a contender in the AFC South. In 2017, it was Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye and Barry Church. In 2018, it was Andrew Norwell.

This time, it is the quarterback expected to replace Blake Bortles and lead this team back toward the playoffs.

Ian Rapoport first broke the news on his Twitter account. What this means for the franchise is the eventual release of Bortles, the probability of the team shying away from selecting a signal caller in the NFL Draft in April.

Of course, nothing is final until the official beginning of free agency, which will take place at 4 p.m on Wednesday, March 13.

"As Josh Alper wrote on profootballtalk.com, “It is reportedly going to be a four-year deal with a base value of $88 million when things can become official on Wednesday afternoon. The deal can reportedly be worth as much as $102 million with Adam Schefter of ESPN reporting that there is $50.125 million in guaranteed money.”"

The signing also means that Jaguars new offensive coordinator John DiFilippo will be reunited with Foles. The two worked together in Philadelphia when the Eagles won the Super Bowl two seasons ago.

According to ESPN.com, the $50.125 million is the largest amount of guaranteed money in franchise history. Defensive tackle Malik Jackson, who was released last week, got $42 million guaranteed when he signed in 2016.

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Jackson was released to free up cap space to help the Jaguars make this kind of a deal.

This is a deal that has been rumored since before the end of the 2018 season. The organization has been linked to several free agent quarterbacks, some even before the team finished 5-11 and in last place in the AFC South.

Joe Flacco was traded by Baltimore to Denver, ending speculation of a potential signing. Case Keenum could have been a possibility as a cheaper option under center. The team has also been linked to Teddy Bridgewater and Ryan Tannehill.

The team’s biggest need was at quarterback, but also have deficiencies at wide receiver, tight end and the offensive line. How that all plays out before the NFL Draft will determine which direction the front office, led by Tom Coughlin, the vice-president of football operations, and David Caldwell, the team’s general manager.

It is believed that once Foles has officially signed his new deal, the team will release Bortles, who has been with the team since 2014 when he was drafted third overall.