A day before veterans were set to report for training camp, the Los Angeles Rams rid themselves of disgruntled quarterback Nick Foles.
The team announced Wednesday that it has released Foles. NFL Media's Mike Garafolo and NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport first reported the news.
"We have been in contact with Nick and his representation throughout the offseason and we feel that this is the best decision for all parties involved," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said in a statement released by the team. "We appreciate the contributions that Nick has made to our organization in his time as a Ram and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors."
We've known for weeks that Foles was leaving L.A., the only question was whether the Rams could get any compensation in return. Foles skipped offseason workouts after the team selected Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick, NFL Media's Steve Wyche reported in June. Fisher said at the time he was fine with Foles staying away from the team -- a crystal clear indication his days with the Rams were over.
Garafolo also reported that the quarterback agreed to reduce the guarantee in his base salary from $1.75 million to $1 million in exchange for his release, per a source who viewed the changes to Foles' contract this week.
With Goff in town as the face of the new L.A. Rams, there was no room for Foles. Quarterbacks Case Keenum and Sean Mannion remain on the roster.
The Rams reportedly attempted to trade Foles, to no avail.
Foles asked for his release from the team and the Rams acquiesced to the request, Garafolo reported. Foles immediately becomes a free agent. Los Angeles paid Foles a $6 million roster bonus in March.
The Rams acquired Foles from the Philadelphia Eagles in the Sam Bradford deal -- which also netted L.A. a second-round pick they used to acquire the No. 1 pick and select Goff. Rams general manger Les Snead admitted earlier this offseason he knew the trade for Foles might not work out.
After a Pro Bowl 2013 campaign that saw Foles throw for 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions in 10 starts, the quarterback's magic ran out, quickly. After being dumped by Chip Kelly for an injury-prone Bradford, Foles was among the most dreadful quarterbacks in the NFL last season. He completed just 56.4 percent of his throws, threw 10 interceptions, struggled to read defenses, made mind-numbingly terrible decisions and was annoyingly obnoxious to watch on the field. It got so bad last season, Fisher benched Foles for journeyman Case Keenum.
Given his size and starting experience, Foles will land on a roster. In a league with a devastating dearth of quarterbacks, even Foles' terrible game tape won't stop him from finding work.
