Nick Foles gets Week 1 start for Eagles as Carson Wentz works toward comeback
By Cody Rivera
The Super Bowl MVP will have to take care of things in Philadelphia until Carson Wentz can return.
Philadelphia Eagles fans were hoping that Carson Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, would be cleared to start at quarterback to start the regular season. That has yet to happen, so instead, they’ll have to settle for reigning Super Bowl MVP, Nick Foles.
The Eagles officially announced that Nick Foles would get the start for Thursday’s season opener against the Atlanta Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field. Given the struggles Foles has had during training camp and the preseason thus far, this wasn’t what the fans were hoping for, regardless of the heroics Foles performed in last year’s playoffs.
In December, Foles became the ultimate Cinderella story. Even though Wentz was leading the NFL in touchdown passes at the time, he tore his ACL in December, and Foles took over from that point to lead the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl championship, even outdueling the great Tom Brady in the Super Bowl in Minneapolis. He threw for 373 yards and three touchdown passes in the big game.
The #Eagles plan to start QB Nick Foles on Thursday in the season opener, sources say. Carson Wentz (ACL, LCL) has done fantastic in rehab. But this is a long-term decision for the face of the franchise.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 1, 2018
It was always assumed that Wentz would be healthy in time for the season opener, but since he still hasn’t been cleared, Foles will get to extend his 15 minutes of fame for at least another game. But it’s hard to imagine he will be able to recreate the same magic he did during last year’s playoffs.
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The Eagles are looking at the big picture with this decision. Wentz could become one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and they don’t want to jeopardize his future by bringing him back too quickly. It’s likely that he won’t miss more than just a couple of games, if even that many, so the Eagles just need Foles to get them through the start of the season.
Ultimately, there’s no real reason for Eagles fans to worry. If Foles can win them a Super Bowl, he can hold down the fort for a game or two in September.