Without a doubt Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard exited 2018 as one of the league’s best executives after bringing his team from the bottom of the NFL. He knocked the offseason process out of the park landing prospects like guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard on top of snagging tight end Eric Ebron out of free agency, so it’s clear he knows a thing or two about talent. That’s exactly why his most recent comment on Jags quarterback Nick Foles should give the people of Jacksonville a bit of confidence as he told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio that he was hoping Foles stayed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
If anyone understands how pivotal quarterback play is for a team, it’s Ballard who watched Andrew Luck spearhead one of the league’s hottest offenses in 2018. Another member of the Colts’ organization who understands the impact Foles could have is head coach Frank Reich, who was his offensive coordinator in 2016-17. Of course, during Reich’s last year with Philly, Foles had to propel the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots during the 2017 season and was named the game’s MVP.
The Jags and Colts split their pair of meetings in 2018, with the Colts winning the first meeting by a score of 29-26 Week 10, and the Jags answering back with a 9-0 shutout three weeks later. This year, they’ll be running identical offensive systems with Reich’s former quarterbacks coach, John DeFilippo, and Foles in black and teal, which will make things much even more interesting than they were previously.
