Eagles get good news about Nick Foles
Eagles fans can breathe a little easier tonight. Team officials have learned that Nick Foles’ shoulder injury isn’t serious and he should be ready Week 1.
You have to forgive Philadelphia Eagles fans for getting a little bit nervous last night when Nick Foles exited their preseason game against the Patriots with a shoulder injury. They know what it’s like to see a starting quarterback go down to injury. Luckily for Doug Pederson and company, Foles isn’t going to be sidelined very long.
NFL Media is reporting that the Eagles don’t envision a “prolonged recovery” for Foles. In other words, the coaching staff expects him to be ready to play when the regular season arrives. That means the team won’t be forced to rely on Nate Sudfeld to lead them to victory over the Falcons.
If things go perfectly for the Eagles, Foles won’t start the game either. They would love to see Carson Wentz progress enough to lead them on the field for Week 1. The team isn’t going to rush Wentz back before he’s ready, but there’s at least an outside chance he’ll get the green light just before the regular season kicks off.
The news that Foles should be ready to go certainly takes the pressure off of Wentz and the Eagles medical staff to rush his recovery. Hurrying a franchise player back from an ACL injury is fraught with risk. The organization’s confidence in Foles to win games in Wentz’s absence should remove any temptation to take shortcuts with the starter’s recovery.
The real question is whether or not Foles’ shoulder injury might force the Eagles to scale back their game plan when the season begins. Part of what makes Foles a dangerous player is his ability to make quality throws on the run. Pederson and the offensive staff might try to give him more quick throws out of the pocket in Week 1 to protect that shoulder. Fortunately for Philadelphia, the Falcons’ biggest defensive weakness is their lack of a pass rush.
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The good news here for Eagles fans is that Foles has avoided any sort of serious injury. That means he should be in position to begin the year as the team’s starter and then transition to his customary backup role once Wentz returns. Once that happens, the Eagles will have one of the strongest quarterback rooms in the NFL once again.