Brett Favre thinks the Eagles should choose Nick Foles

If Doug Pederson listens to his friend Brett Favre, the Eagles would choose Nick Foles over Carson Wentz.

For the second straight year, Nick Foles took over for Carson Wentz and was the starting quarterback into the playoffs for the Philadelphia Eagles. But head coach Doug Pederson has conveyed the team’s commitment to Carson Wentz as the starting quarterback going forward, and Foles is set to be available this offseason.

Over small samples late in each of the last two years, there’s an argument the Eagles have been a better team with Foles under center while Wentz has drawn durability questions. Some of that is Foles and the spark a backup quarterback can sometimes bring, and some of the rest can be credited to the finer details of the offense being schemed-up better without Wentz’s talent to rely on.

There may be some divide in the Eagles’ locker room regarding the quarterback situation. But the most public voice of the franchise, Pederson, has practically said goodbye to Foles alongside his confirmation of Wentz.

On his Sirius XM NFL radio show Tuesday, Brett Favre weighed in on Philadelphia’s quarterback quandary (as much as it seems to be one at this point).

"No disrespect at all to Carson Wentz. I think he’s already proven that he’s a great quarterback. Totally different than Nick Foles. Nick Foles, to me, is more of a (Tom) Brady-esque type quarterback. Very limited in what he can do but very, very good in what he does. He’s a pure pocket passer and he’s great at dishing it out and he’s proven that he’s clutch. He did it this past week, he did it last year, he’s done it time and time again, and he’s proven that he can win the big games. That, I think, is what we have to look at, or the Eagles, or anyone in a similar situation — it’s about winning, it’s about being clutch, doing really what you expect your players to do. And he does it as well as anyone."

Favre and Pederson are close friends and go way back, to Pederson’s two stints as the Green Bay Packers’ backup quarterback (1995-1998, 2001-2004). It’s unclear if Favre has conveyed his tilt toward Foles to Pederson, as much as it may really carry any influence.

The Eagles have a $20 million option on Foles for 2019, at which point Foles can give back a $2 million signing bonus and become a free agent. That option would make him an awfully expensive backup quarterback, leaving aside the faint idea the two sides come back together at a cheaper rate once Foles exercises his right to become a free agent.

Foles would surely like a clear opportunity to start, and it’s not going to be there in Philadelphia along with lingering questions he can perform at a high level over a full 16 games. Favre’s opinion is duly noted, but Wentz is the clear choice over Foles and the Eagles should not waver from that direction.