Eagles legend and Super Bowl hero Nick Foles has officially announced his retirement from the NFL.
And he’s going out as an Eagle.
Foles will be honored at Lincoln Financial Field on Sept. 16, when the Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons in the 2024 home opener.
“Nick Foles always carried himself with the utmost class and integrity, demonstrating through his actions, both on and off the field, what it meant to be a Philadelphia Eagle,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.
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“He was the ultimate competitor, an inspiring teammate, a true representative of our city, and of course, a Super Bowl champion. As important as he was under center, it was his positive demeanor, approachability, and kindness toward others that resonated with everyone and continues to speak to his great character. We congratulate the Foles family on Nick’s celebrated career and retirement.”
Foles, 35, last played in the NFL with the Colts in 2022. He spent 11 seasons in the NFL and just five of those were in Philadelphia. But he’ll always be remembered as an Eagle.
And in Philly, he’ll be remembered as the guy who delivered the first Super Bowl championship to a city that was starving for it.
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“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to retire as a Philadelphia Eagle,” Foles said in a statement. “The City of Brotherly Love has always felt like home to me as an NFL player. Philadelphia is a city I truly love, and it has been an honor to wear the Eagles jersey. Thank you, Philadelphia, for embracing me and making me a part of your family forever. Your love and support have meant the world.”
While Foles had other great moments with the Eagles, who drafted him in the third round back in 2012, he’ll always be remembered for Super Bowl LII. Late in the 2017 season, the Eagles lost MVP candidate Carson Wentz to a torn ACL and Foles stepped in. Despite some shaky moments early, Foles led the Eagles through the playoffs and saved the best game of his life for the biggest stage.
In Super Bowl LII, Foles completed 65% of his passes for 373 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception and also caught a touchdown pass on the Philly Special — a trick play that he suggested to head coach Doug Pederson at a crucial moment. Foles was the MVP of the only Super Bowl victory in Eagles history.
During that playoff run, the Eagles beat the Falcons in the divisional round and the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game to earn the trip to Minneapolis to face off against Tom Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl. As great as Brady was in that game at U.S. Bank Stadium, Foles was able to beat him in a shootout. In that three-game playoff run, Foles completed 72.6% of his passes with 6 touchdowns and just 1 interception.
The Super Bowl season came in Foles’ second stint with the Eagles. Back in 2012, the Eagles took Foles with the No. 88 overall pick out of Arizona and he was a Pro Bowler in 2013 with an incredible 27-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio under head coach Chip Kelly. He’s still the only quarterback in NFL history to have 20+ touchdown passes with 2 or fewer interceptions in a season. And on Nov. 3, 2013 against the Raiders, Foles became just the seventh quarterback in NFL history to throw seven touchdown passes and the third to throw seven touchdowns without an interception in a game.
Foles was traded to the Rams in March of 2015 in a move that brought Sam Bradford to Philadelphia. Foles spent just one season in St. Louis before joining Andy Reid’s Chiefs in 2016. After a rough season with the Rams, Foles contemplated retirement before signing with the Chiefs but decided to stick with football.
The next year, the Eagles needed a backup quarterback behind Wentz and signed Foles to a two-year deal. It ended up being one of the best free agent signings in franchise history.
Foles is the Eagles franchise leader in passer rating (93.2) and is third all-time in completion percentage (62.9). He’s 10th all-time in passing yards (8,703) and ninth in touchdowns (58). Foles started just 32 regular season games and six playoffs games for the Eagles — despite that, he’s an absolute legend in Philadelphia.
Since Foles left the Eagles as a free agent in 2018, no other player has worn No. 9 in Philly. While Foles’ number hasn’t been officially retired, it’s clearly off limits.
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