Polarizing Jaguars QB from the Doug Marrone era calls it quits

David Caldwell made several questionable decisions during his eight-year stint as the general manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars. None was more baffling than giving Nick Foles a top-market contract. But as bad as his time with the Jags was, he still managed to play for several years. And after a career full of twists and turns, the Super Bowl-winning passer has chosen to call it quits.

Foles announced his retirement days before the Jags' preseason matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. A third-round pick in 2012, he began his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2015. He then spent a season with the Kansas City Chiefs and returned to Philly in 2017.

The year he went back to the Eagles, Foles took over when Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending injury. He went over to play a massive role in their playoff push and their eventual victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52. His play caused a quarterback controversy in the City of Brotherly Love, and he was let go in 2019. He promptly signed a four-year deal worth $88 million with the Jags.

Leaving aside the fact that Jacskonville squeezed just four games out of Foles, the contract was terrible when you take into account that there was no demand for his services. Caldwell bid against himself and ended up paying a premium for a quarterback nobody wanted.

To nobody's surprise, the Jags traded Foles to the Chicago Bears the following year. He spent two seasons in the Windy City and played for the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. He spent the 2023 season away from football, and there wasn't currently a market for him, so his retirement doesn't come as a surprise.

In total, Foles appeared in 71 games with 58 starts over the span of 11 years, completing 62.4 percent of his passes for 14,227 yards with 82 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and tied the record for most passing touchdowns in a football game when he tossed seven scores against the Las Vegas Raiders that year. He shares the record with Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Joe Kapp, and a handful others.

"After much thought and prayer, I've decided to retire from the NFL. It's been an incredible 11-year journey filled with unforgettable moments and amazing people," Foles said in a video he posted on Twitter. "From being drafted by the Eagles to winning the Super Bowl, every step has been a blessing."

Foles continues, "I'm excited to spend more time with my family and embrace the next chapter of my life. Thank you to all my teammates, coaches, team staff, and fans for your unwavering support. I am forever grateful."

Here's the video of Foles announcing his retirement, in case you want to give it a look.

Signing Nick Foles exemplifies Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell's bad moves

Dave Caldwell's tenure as the Jacksonville Jaguars general manager didn't go well. In fact, you can call it outright dreadful and nobody will bat an eye. Sure, they went to the AFC Championship in 2017, but other than that, he'll be best remembered for trading (or at least trying) to trade the team's best players and attempting to replace them with draft picks that didn't pan out.

One of the hits Caldwell did have was drafting Gardner Minshew in 2019. The mustachioed quarterback helped lessen the pain from the Foles signing, which brings up an interesting question. What would've happened if the Jags hadn't found Minshew? Would they have stuck with Foles instead of training him the following year? Fortunately for them, they didn't have to find out.

Although Minshew also flopped when he was given a shot to prove he was the long-term answer, the Jaguars have come a long way since they signed Foles. In fact, they found in Trevor Lawrence the stability they thought they would be getting with Foles.

Ultimately, Foles should be thrilled that he managed to play as long as he did and even win a Super Bowl. And while not many Jaguars fans will remember him fondly, the silver lining of his signing is that it didn't have long-term repercussions, so congratulations to Foles for wrapping up a fruitful NFL career.