NFL News: Is Nick Foles A Free Agent? Eagles Not Franchise Tagging QB

Plenty of big names around the NFL have gathered in Indianapolis for the annual pre-draft Scouting Combine. One of the biggest pieces of news to come out of media availability at the combine involved Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, who has been the subject of trade rumors in recent months.

The Eagles are apparently going to defy expectations and let Foles walk in free agency, according to a statement by general manager Howie Roseman. Philadelphia had until March 5 to apply the franchise tag to Foles and potentially trade him for draft assets from a quarterback-needy team.

The decision follows weeks of speculation about what the Eagles would do with Foles, whose contract ended after 2018. The team exercised a $20 million player option to keep him earlier this month, but Foles essentially bought his freedom by spending $2 million to void it.

This means Foles can play wherever he likes in 2019. The former Super Bowl MVP will probably find plenty of suitors, with the Jacksonville Jaguars most frequently being linked to him. Jacksonville’s new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo was the quarterbacks coach for the Eagles during the team’s Super Bowl run two seasons ago.

Other rumors had linked Foles to division rivals New York and Washington. The Giants essentially killed those rumors on the same day the Eagles announced Foles would become a free agent. Head coach Pat Shurmur told reporters on Wednesday that Eli Manning would remain the quarterback of the Giants.

Washington could be a team to watch in the coming weeks. Starting quarterback Alex Smith may never play in the NFL again after a leg injury and subsequent post-surgery complications.