Nick Foles is the forgotten man in the NFC playoff race. The Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback for the first eight games of the season is recovering from a broken collarbone, and it sounds like he could be out longer than expected.
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Foles' original timeline to return (six to eight weeks) could prove optimistic, and that his left clavicle has to be "more than" healed so he can sustain contact in an NFL game.
McLane writes that Week 16 is a best-case scenario for Foles' return, with the season finale at the New York Giants another possibility. We'll know a lot more about this Eagles team by then. They face the Cowboys twice over the next three weeks, with Seattle sandwiched in between. If Mark Sanchez can steer the Eagles to first place by the end of that stretch, we doubt Eagles coach Chip Kelly will change course at quarterback.
It's a huge month for the Eagles' playoff hopes and an even bigger stretch for Sanchez's career. A few solid performances against quality opponents could have him starting games in January, whether Foles is healthy or not.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews the Week 13 games and reacts to the news of RGIII's benching in D.C. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.