In October, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said that the team’s No. 1 priority has become finding a franchise quarterback. After Saturday night’s playoff loss to the Saints, Lurie opted not to declare that the Eagles had found one.
“I don’t want to comment on any player, but how can you not be impressed with Nick [Foles], with everything he has accomplished, including tonight,” Lurie told reporters. “He had no turnovers and led us back from 20-7. He is incredibly impressive.”
While it would be unfair to interpret Lurie’s comments as suggesting that Foles could be replaced via free agency or the draft, the handful of teams with true franchise quarterbacks aren’t shy about saying so.
Then again, those teams typically say so with their bank vaults. Foles remains a full year away from his first eligibility for the kind of contract that would make it clear to the football-following world that the Eagles have found their franchise quarterback.
For Foles, that means spending a full offseason as the unquestioned starter, taking -- and not sharing -- all of the first-team reps in offseason workouts, training camp, and the preseason in the hopes of having an even better season, and of setting himself up to be paid like a franchise quarterback.