The Philadelphia Eagles will need to make a decision on their quarterback position within the next few months.
The evaluation of Nick Foles is convoluted by his collarbone injury that swiped eight games this season. However, coach Chip Kelly said Wednesday that the Eagles will make a determination on Foles' play by breaking down the game tape he does possess.
"The reality is the reality," Kelly said, per the Philly Inquirer. "I can't say, 'Hey, let's not make a decision because I need to see him play 16 more games.' In certain times we're going to have to make decisions, so you have to make it based on what you have. We don't have any control over the injury."
Prior to the injury, Foles had regressed back to the mean after a Pro Bowl first season under Kelly. While the coach showed support for his young quarterback, he wasn't handing out any jobs on Christmas Eve either.
"For me to stand here on ... the day before Christmas, to say I've made my full evaluation of a quarterback, it's not fair to anybody," Kelly said. "We have a process that we go through."
With Mark Sanchez stumbling the past few weeks and hitting the free-agent market, Kelly must decide if he'll roll with Foles next year, draft a quarterback early or look for another veteran to add competition.
Foles is 14-4 as a starter under Chip Kelly, but his play this season was worrisome. Foles had 13 turnovers in just more than seven games. Through the first nine weeks he was rated as the 29th quarterback out of 36 by Pro Football Focus.
Foles' injury will cloud the evaluation process, but the Eagles' offseason moves at the quarterback position in the next few months will signal what conclusion they've come to about the third-year player.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews the biggest matchups in Week 17 and makes its picks for the last week of the season. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
