Ex-Jaguars QB Nick Foles Among Favorites for Comeback Player of the Year
Nick Foles has accomplished a number if impressive feats in his eight seasons in the NFL. He has been to the Pro Bowl, started multiple postseason games and most famously won Super Bowl MVP in 2017 after leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a Lombardi Title.
Therefore, it wouldn't be too surprising to see Foles add even another award to his NFL journey. And after a down year in Jacksonville in 2019, Foles could be a reasonable favorite to take home one specific honor: Comeback Player of the Year.
According to odds released from BetOnline, Foles is among the favorites to win the award in 2020. It makes sense considering both the ups and downs Foles had with the Jaguars last season and the potential opportunity to start at quarterback for the Chicago Bears.
BetOnline has given Foles 6/1 odds to win the award, tied for fourth-best. He is tied with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, and the two of them trail Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt (5/1), Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (9/2), and the odds on favorite to win the award, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Foles signed a four-year, $88 million contract with the Jaguars in March 2019, becoming the team's newest franchise quarterback hopeful. He was firmly entrenched as the Jaguars' starter throughout the preseason but injured his clavicle on the second possession of the season opener, getting injured while throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark.
With Foles on the mend, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II started the next eight games. Minshew went 4-4 as the starter in that period, and his energetic play style and moxie won over the respect of his teammates, coaches, and organization as a whole.
Foles returned as the Jaguars' starting quarterback in Week 11, his first game eligible to return from injured reserve. His time back on the field was short-lived, however, as the Jaguars were in the midst of a brutal losing streak, one in which was no fault of his own. Unfortunately, Foles' return aligned perfectly with the Jaguars' worst stretch of play of 2019, dooming his time back on the field from the start.
Jacksonville lost each of Foles' first two starts upon his return, and the veteran quarterback was then benched in favor of Minshew by head coach Doug Marrone at halftime of Week 13's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after committing three turnovers in the first half. Foles didn't play another snap in 2019.
In four games in 2019, Foles completed 65.8% of his passes and threw for 736 yards (6.3 yards per attempt) with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
In March, Foles was traded to Chicago for a 2020 fourth-round pick. In trading Foles, the Jaguars took on an $18.75 million dead cap hit but are no longer financially tied to him past 2020.
Foles will now battle Mitchell Trubisky for the Bears' starting gig as he reunites with head coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo.
Nagy was the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator in 2016 when Foles was Kansas City's backup quarterback. Foles notably considered retirement after the 2015 season, but his year in Kansas City helped him rejuvenate his career and Nagy was instrumental in this. DeFilippo coached Foles in Philadelphia in 2017 and in Jacksonville in 2019.
Aside from Foles, there doesn't seem to be a much more likely candidate for the award other than Roethlisberger. Foles went through a lot in 2019, and he has an open path to starting at the most high-profile position in sports yet again in 2020. He needs to rack up some wins in the process, but it would be hard to doubt Foles in this scenario.
