Should Jaguars bring back QB Nick Foles for a second stint?

Nick Foles’ tenure as the Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback didn’t go the way the organization expected when they gave him a four-year deal with a max value of $88 million. After just one season, the top brass’ had decided they had seen enough of the veteran and pulled the plug on him. However, he’s now a free agent and looking for a team. Should the Jags give him a chance?

Let’s make this clear from the very beginning. Trevor Lawrence is firmly entrenched as the starter, and barring serious injury, no other quarterback on the Jaguars’ roster will see meaningful playing time. Foles would come in to back him up and serve as a mentor figure. At this point of his career, that’s the role he would get pretty much anywhere he went.

C.J. Beathard is currently the Jaguars’ primary backup but Foles was the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles when Doug Pederson was the head coach. Now in Jacksonville, Pederson could pound the table for the signal-caller that played a big role in Philly’s Super Bowl run in 2017. Moreover, signing him wouldn’t be cost-prohibitive, as most clubs that needed a quarterback already got one in either free agency or the draft.

Would it be worth it for the Jaguars to sign QB Nick Foles?

A third-round pick in the 2012 draft, Foles has appeared in 68 games and made 56 starts. For his career, he’s completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 14,003 yards with 82 touchdowns and 43 interceptions. When Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending injury in 2017, Foles took over at quarterback and helped the Eagles win Super Bowl 52, going 77-of-106 for 971 yards with six touchdowns and just one interception. However, he hasn’t done much since then, amassing a 7-10 record as a starter.

Back in 2018, Foles went 0-4 as the starter in Jacksonville and was benched in favor of Gardner Minshew. He was traded to the Chicago Bears the following season and was released not long after this year’s draft concluded. While he may still want to get a chance to compete for a starting job, he’s better suited for a backup role. He could compete with Beathard for the backup job, or even sign to the Jaguars practice squad. After all, they didn’t draft a quarterback and Jake Luton is currently the third quarterback on the depth chart. Foles would round out their quarterback room and be ready to play if called upon.

A couple of months ago, the possibility of trading for Foles was brought out. At the time, it wouldn’t have made sense since the Jaguars would have to part ways with either a player or a draft pick. Now, they wouldn’t have to give up any kind of compensation for the veteran, and signing him could turn out to be a low-key solid move.