I'm going to be honest. I'm wavering. Just a bit. And I wonder if Howie and Doug are wavering, too.
How can you not? How can you be human and not wonder?
How can you watch Nick Foles do this week after week and not question whether the Eagles would be in better hands over the long run by signing Foles to a huge contract and trading Carson Wentz?
I wrote last week that the only clear path for the Eagles to take long-term was to ride Foles for the rest of this year and then wish him well and turn the team over to Wentz (see story).
And I still think that's a really sound option. You have a 25-year-old MVP candidate who'll be healthy next year, and even this year, while held back by injuries, still had the seventh-highest passer rating in football.
Wentz can play. And he's going to have success wherever he plays. And it'll probably be here.
But I have to admit, watching Foles complete 25 straight passes Sunday in Washington and lead the Eagles to a commanding 24-0 win over the Redskins in a game the Eagles had to win, I found myself wondering, "Do I really want to get rid of this guy?"
Sports
In partnership with NBC Sports Philadelphia
Foles has already had one of the greatest seasons in NFL history, back in 2013. He's thrown an NFL-record seven TDs in a game. He's led the Eagles on a wild playoff run and has been Super Bowl MVP. He has the highest passer rating in NFL postseason history. And the last three weeks he's gone into L.A. and beaten the Rams, thrown a franchise-record 471 yards, and beaten the Texans and tied an NFL-record with 25 straight passes to help clinch a playoff berth in Washington.
He's revived a lifeless team.
And we're no longer seeing the inconsistency we saw most of his career. He wasn't very good against the Falcons in the opener, but he won, which is what he always seems to do - 10-1 since returning to Philly last year and 24-6 in 30 meaningful games in an Eagles uniform since 2013.
What if he wins a road wild-card game in Chicago? What if he goes into the Superdome and beats the Saints? What if …
At some point does keeping Foles become a legitimate option for Doug Pederson, Howie Roseman and Jeff Lurie? At some point do they sit down together and say, "Hey, are we SURE we're doing the right thing?"
One thing we know about Howie. He'll be creative and aggressive and think outside the box. If the Eagles at some point do decide organizationally that Foles gives this franchise the best long-term chance at sustained success, he will be just as aggressive moving Wentz as he was acquiring him. We all know how Howie feels about draft picks.
This is a crazy situation, an unprecedented situation. And we won't know for years whether the Eagles did the right thing.
Pederson couldn't be clearer when he says: "Carson is our quarterback. He's our quarterback of the future."
But as the weeks go by and the wins and records pile up, I think even the biggest Carson Wentz supporter at some point would find himself thinking, "Will Carson Wentz ever do what Nick is doing?"
Personally, I think he can. Assuming he regains all his mobility and physically can once again be the guy he was last year. He really is a special talent.
But I'd be lying – we'd all be lying – if I said there's no doubt in my mind.
I've seen Nick win a Super Bowl. I've seen him standing at the 50-yard-line at U.S. Bank Stadium holding the Super Bowl MVP trophy high in the air. It's happened. It's not a fluke.
And nothing Nick does the rest of his career would surprise any of us.
Get this call wrong and it could set the franchise back years.
If you're the Eagles, you really have to be careful you don't cut ties with one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
The trick is figuring out which guy that is.
Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.
