Doug calls a reverse, announces Foles will start
Eagles coach Doug Pederson makes an about face and names Nick Foles as the starting quarterback in the opener
PHILADELPHIA » The decision official, the ban on locker-room speech lifted, the Eagles Monday reacted as expected that Nick Foles will be their Opening Night quarterback.
They were satisfied. “What we know,” Mack Hollins said, “is that he can put jewelry on our fingers.”
With Carson Wentz not yet medically cleared to play after 2017 season-ending knee surgery, the Birds were comfortable with Foles as the alternative.
“He can ball,” guard Brandon Brooks said. “You saw that last year. He had a couple bad games, we all have bad games. But he bounced back and the rest is history.
“I think we’re in a good situation. He’s the Super Bowl MVP. And Carson can help us too. So it’s a good situation to be in.”
In addition to the clarity and to the end of an entire offseason of questions about the issue, the appointment of Foles to start Thursday against Atlanta can yield immediate practical benefits.
“It’s amazing,” Nelson Agholor said. “He’s going to take some reps. He’s going to be the guy leading the group. So we’ll make sure we do what we have to do.
“We have two great quarterbacks, so it didn’t matter to me. We can get reps with both of those guys and I can prepare the way I need to prepare.”
••• Recovered from a foot injury that limited him to
10 preseason running attempts, Jay Ajayi is preparing to start Thursday.
“It’s good,” he said, after being limited in practice Monday. “It’s just about getting back out there and getting ready for the game plan. I am taking the steps to get ready for the game.”
Ajayi, though, may not be fully healthy. Asked specifically Monday if he were
100 percent, he hedged. “I’m working to it,” he said. “I’m getting to it. But I think I’ll be ready for the game.”
•••
Though he has recovered from his injured shoulder and is on the 53man roster, 2018 offensive pillar Alshon Jeffery is not expected to dress for at least two weeks.
The impact?
“I think that remains to be seen a little bit,” said offensive coordinator Mike Groh. “We feel like we’ve got a lot of weapons on our offense: Zach Ertz, Nelson Agholor, Darren Sproles. We added Dallas Goedert in the draft and are anxious to see him play on Thursday night. We added Mike Wallace. Our running backs, guys like Corey Clement, have done a lot in the past in the passing game for us. We still feel like we have a lot of weapons that they have got to account for.”
•••
Steven Means was the last Eagle cut when the roster was reduced to 53. Jim Schwartz will miss the popular defensive end.
“Everybody thinks the world of Steven,” the defensive coordinator said. “In our locker room, in our building, he is as respected as any player that I’ve been around. He’ll have great success. He’ll land on his feet and he’ll have success. I just hope it’s not against us.”
Though lightly used in games, Means had been with the Eagles since 2015.
“We’re fortunate that we’re so deep at that position,” Schwartz said, “that we had a hard time finding a spot for him.”
•••
Ajayi (foot) and Wentz (knee) were limited in practice Monday. Hollins (groin), Richard Rodgers (knee) and Jeffery (shoulder) did not practice.
Hollins, who neither confirmed nor denied that he had offseason surgery, plans to be available Thursday.
“Yeah,” he said. “I feel good. I’ve been in and out. But I feel ready.”
•••
According to ESPN, Malcolm Jenkins agreed to a re-worked contract designed to save the Eagles an additional $6 million in cap space. The bookkeeping procedure did not involve a pay cut.