USA TODAY International Edition
NFL TEAMS SCURRYING TO FIND NEXT NICK FOLES
INDIANAPOLIS – A handful of NFL teams arrived at the scouting combine this week looking for a starting quarterback. Yet plenty of others are now asking themselves if they need to find a better backup.
They can thank the Philadelphia Eagles and their understudy-turned-Super-Bowl-MVP Nick Foles for this newfound quarterback dilemma.
The Eagles proved that with the right roster, coaching staff and, yes, a reliable Plan B QB, a season doesn’t have to be lost even if the team's top passer is. And in a league famous for a copycat mentality of successful formulas, bolstering the backup role suddenly seems like a more urgent matter.
“I think it's really hard for quarterbacks to stay healthy for 16 games. It's a physical game. These guys are taking some shots and, a lot of times, they don't see them coming," said Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase said.
“If we can get into a situation where we have two guys that we feel confident about, that's going to benefit us."
Gase's team saw its 2017 season derailed before it truly began when quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during a noncontact play in training camp. While the Dolphins had confidence in backup Matt Moore, who went 2-1 down the stretch in 2016 and got the team into the playoffs, Miami opted to lure Jay Cutler out of his brief retirement last summer to replace Tannehill. But the move failed, with the Fins finishing 6-10.
Now Gase and Co. are counting on Tannehill’s return but also considering the addition of another quarterback, perhaps a rookie early in the draft.
But finding another Foles won't be an easy task.
Case Keenum, a journeyman who had his best season in 2017 after becoming the starter in Minnesota, isn’t likely to sign somewhere to be a backup after leading the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. AJ McCarron went 2-1 in relief of injured Bengals starter Andy Dalton in 2015 and nearly led Cincinnati past the Steelers in postseason. But McCarron didn’t fight to hit free agency this year only to hold another clipboard.
A good backup also doesn't come cheaply (or without risk). Mike Glennon signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Chicago Bears last year, essentially to be a bridge quarterback — ultimately to subsequently drafted Mitchell Trubisky. But Glennon bombed in four starts before giving way to the rookie and will be released when the NFL's league year begins.
Foles was obviously a far better investment, signing a two-year, $11 million contract ($7 million guaranteed) last year as Philadelphia's Carson Wentz insurance policy, which ultimately paid off so handsomely. And, in the grand scheme, that deal pales to the going rate for starting quarterbacks, which now exceeds $25 million annually.
"You’ve got to have one to win, and they’re hard to find. They’re an asset," said Chargers general manager Tom Telesco. "The Eagles did a great job having a quarterback like Nick Foles come in and play the way he did. We all try and do that.
"We all try and have a backup quarterback that’s good enough to come in and take you to the promised land. It’s hard to do, but it’s all of our goals to have that guy. The supply isn’t as always as big as you’d like.”
The Chargers have relied on veteran Kellen Clemens for years behind Philip Rivers, who has started 192 consecutive regular-season games, now the longest active streak in the NFL. But this could finally be the year Telesco seriously looks at an upgrade behind Rivers while maybe finding a potential successor.
“With the quarterback position, you’re always looking,” he said.