Nick Foles Returns to Jaguars' Practice in Limited Capacity Following Week 1 Injury

For the first time in over six weeks Nick Foles, the man the Jacksonville Jaguars gave a four-year, $88 million contract to this offseason, was back on the practice field Wednesday.

Foles practiced in a limited capacity, just as head coach Doug Marrone said on Monday that he would. But limited or not, it was an important step in his bid to return as Jacksonville's start in Week 11 vs. the Indianapolis Colts.

Foles has missed the entirety of the 2019 season after going down with a clavicle injury on the second offensive possession of the season and has since been replaced in the lineup by rookie Gardner Minshew.

Marrone said Wednesday that while Foles was at practice, he is not as focused on the situation as he will be when Foles is actually eligible to play in a few weeks.

"I think this is just week one back, so we’re going to take it back very slowly," Marrone said. "I think that I’ll probably be looking at it more so as we get closer to see where he is, and I think there will be a lot of communication on how you feel and what’s going on."

"That’s really how I feel. I hate to say it. I love Nick and all that stuff, but my focus is on the team and trying to win a game. The trainers, Nick, [Quarterbacks Coach] Scott [Milanovich] at times, their focus will be on Nick. And then I’ll get the information as we go.”

While Wednesday was certainly a momentus day for Foles, who had surgery following the injury, Marrone is instead looking ahead to his team's Week 8 tilt with the New York Jets. For now, his focus is not on the inevitable question of who will start at quarterback.

“I’m really not that concerned about Nick [Foles]. I don’t have any expectation. I think afterwards I was just going to ask, ‘How do you feel?’ My focus is going to be on the guys that are playing [against] New York," Marrone said.

"I know we have a plan, we put it together. That was kind of the other day when we sat down and then, ‘Hey, here’s your plan, go work it.’ My focus is getting ready for New York."

But while Marrone is not yet thinking about the return of the quarterback the Jaguars signed to be their franchise signal-caller, Foles' return to the field was still worth noting. For Minshew, it meant the return of the player whose ear he has been in all season.

“It was good, man. He looked comfortable. It’s been a while, we missed him out there," Minshew said. "He brings a lot of energy. It’s a lot of fun when he’s out there, so it was good to see him back.”

“I think we’re pretty good at quarterback if nothing else, you know? Hopefully that’s the case. We love working together, and it’s just going to be a lot of fun.”

Minshew and Marrone have each publiclly said on numerous occasions that Foles has been a valuable resource for the sixth-round rookie quarterback. Whether it is in the meeting room or on the sideline during games, Foles started helping Minshew as quickly as he could after surgery.

“He had to take a little bit of time off with the surgery, but as soon as he could get back into the meeting rooms, he was there with us watching all of the film, helping anyway he could. Helping me get up to speed and try to understand these defenses and plan," Minshew said.

While the relationship between the rookie and the veteran is strong and will remain that way moving forward, the elephant in the room still remains: who will start at quarterback when Foles is able to return full-time?

But right now, that is not a thought Minshew is paying attention to. Instead, he is focused on the things ahead of him and the things he can control, such as preparing for the Jets.

"We’re all, everybody in that room is worried about beating the Jets this week," Minshew said. "And then next week, it’s going to be beat the Texans and then after that it’ll be beating whoever else we play after the bye."