In some parallel universe, Nick Foles and the Eagles just wrapped up their season in New Orleans - turns out the Saints are pretty good in that world, too. The difference in this alternate timeline are the questions Howie Roseman faced the Tuesday after.
"Do you think Nick has earned the right to be the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL with his next contract," shouts a reporter.
"Are you afraid Nick could hold out if he doesn't have a new contract before training camp," barks another reporter.
The Eagles never drafted Carson Wentz. They didn't need him. Foles received a contract extension from the team in 2015, and now it's time to go back to the table.
Is it so crazy? Foles was 26 years old and amassed a 14-4 record as a starter with a playoff appearance over the previous two seasons. He threw 29 touchdowns to two interceptions in 2013. Sure, he fell back to earth then got injured the following year, yet even at the time, there were people (ahem) making the case the Eagles should stick with Foles.
There lies the point of departure between the two worlds.
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In our reality, Jeffrey Lurie gave Chip Kelly full control over personnel in 2015 and Foles was traded to the Rams, setting off the present series of events. But in the parallel universe, Kelly never assumed power, and Roseman gave Foles the type of low-risk extension quarterbacks such Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Tannehill and even Russell Wilson were signing around the same time. Kelly was still relieved of his head coaching duties the following season, still succeeded by Doug Pederson, and the Eagles still went on to win the first Super Bowl in franchise history, too.
Again, knowing what we do now, is any of that hard to believe? Were he given the chance years ago, the Eagles might just be Foles' team today, with a new contract looming or possibly already signed.
But Wentz is here now. No matter how you feel about Foles, the Eagles are heavily invested in Wentz. He's younger. He has a better arm. He's more athletic. When healthy, Wentz is capable of doing things on a football field that only a handful of quarterbacks in the league could dream of doing. He's more talented, period.
Foles deserves the opportunity to be a starter somewhere, and there was a time when he deserved that opportunity here. Unfortunately, difficult as it may be to let a Philly legend leave, that time has passed.
The moral of this tale: whatever concerns there are about Wentz's ability to stay healthy or regain his MVP-caliber form, he deserves a proper opportunity to lead the Eagles - the one Foles never got.
If we learned anything at all from the Foles experience, it ought to be not to give up on a young, up-and-coming franchise quarterback too soon.
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