In his farewell message to the Eagles and the City of Philadelphia on The Players Tribune, Nick Foles thanked everybody. He thanked every level of the organization from coaches to trainers to video personnel. He thanked his teammates. He thanked Eagles fans.
He even thanked Chip Kelly!
Of course he did.
(I even want to thank Chip Kelly for trading me in 2015. Without that challenge in my life, I wouldn't be the player I am today.)
This should come as no surprise. This is just who Nick Foles is. He has to be one of the most selfless, humble folk heroes in NFL history.
It's why about 11 hours after leading the Eagles to a victory in Super Bowl LII, he stood at a podium and talked about how his failures allowed him to grow (see story). So it's no surprise he thanked Chip. When Kelly traded him, it set off a series of events that eventually led to his coming back to Philly and becoming the Super Bowl MVP. It's the butterfly effect. If Chipper doesn't trade Foles, he probably doesn't gain that perspective and then come back to Philly and win a Super Bowl. The fact that Foles is able to have that perspective is pretty incredible.
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In the piece, Foles said he came back to the Eagles before the 2017 season because he wanted to be back in the city. He wanted his daughter to be from Philadelphia. Just when you thought he couldn't possibly endear himself to the city any more.
The last group of people he thanked: fans. There will always be a special bond between Eagles fans and the man who brought the Lombardi Trophy to town.
Because for as much of an honor as it's been to play for this team and this city…… the truest privilege has been over the last year, in the time since we won the Super Bowl - having Eagles fans share their stories with me. Having them remind me of how we didn't just win the Super Bowl; we won the Eagles' first Super Bowl ever. Getting to hear from Philly natives about how their father, or father's father, or mother, or mother's mother, cried tears of happiness after the game. Learning about how, for most people, rooting for the Eagles is more than a decision - it's a birthright.
Foles agreed to a four-year contract in Jacksonville. It was inevitable that he was going to leave, but it'll be weird to see him in another jersey again.
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