The Rams say they have no regrets about trading for quarterback Nick Foles or extending his contract, preserving the unbroken chain of NFL teams claiming that they don’t regret things they clearly should.
As to Foles, they’ll have 6 million reasons to regret the move in 2016.
Per a source with knowledge of the deal, the contract given to Foles earlier this year has a $6 million roster bonus due on the third day of the 2016 league year. The bonus is guaranteed for skill and injury, which means the Rams are on the hook for the amount.
Foles also has a salary in 2016 of $1.75 million, guaranteed only for injury until the fifth day of the 2016 league year, at which point it becomes fully guaranteed. While the Rams can avoid that by cutting him, they can’t avoid the $6 million roster bonus. The source says the $6 million roster bonus also has no offset language, meaning that Foles gets to keep the $6 million if he’s released, undiminished by anything he earns elsewhere.
The best move for the Rams, if they decide to move on from Foles in 2016, would be to trade him. And if there’s a team that views Foles as a starter, $7.75 million for 2016 isn’t a significant investment, given the market at the position. But if the Rams don’t want him to start after having him in the building since March, why should anyone else?
Under his new contract, Foles will earn a little over $6 million in 2015. In 2017, his total pay spikes to $12.25 million, which means that there’s a slim chance anyone will be employing him under the third and final year of the deal.