When the Jacksonville Jaguars signed quarterback Nick Foles in the offseason, they seemed like a team ready to bounce back in a big way.
They disappointed with a 5-11 record in 2018. But they still had much of the same roster that took them to a 10-6 record, the AFC South title and the AFC Championship Game the previous year. It seemed as if the Jaguars made a major upgrade at quarterback by letting Blake Bortles go and signing Foles, the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl LII with the Eagles, as his replacement.
Foles, who signed a four-year, $88 million contract with $50 million guaranteed, seemed to be the perfect quarterback to take the Jaguars back to the playoffs. And, for just a moment Sunday afternoon, it looked like the Jaguars had played their cards exactly right with Foles. Early in the game against Kansas City, he threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark. But, while Chark and other Jaguars celebrated, it became apparent that Foles was injured.
Suddenly everything changed. The Chiefs went on to win the game, 40-26. Now, there are major questions about what the Jaguars will do at quarterback — and no easy answers.
Let’s look at five implications of Foles’ injury:
5. No matter how you spin it, this is terrible news
Foles suffered a broken left clavicle. At least that isn’t on his throwing side. If it was, his career could be in jeopardy. But even the left side is serious. Foles is set to have surgery Monday. This is a serious injury. He’s going to miss extended time, possibly the rest of the season. Foles had a similar injury with Philadelphia in 2014 and missed the final eight games of the season. The Jaguars, who entered the season with promise, are suddenly in a big jam. What are their options?
4. Trade and bring back Blake Bortles
Let’s be clear. This is unlikely, although nothing is out of the question at this point. Bortles had his run in Jacksonville. The No. 3 overall pick in 2014, Bortles had some bright moments in the early days of his five years with the Jaguars. But he ultimately fizzled out, and the Jaguars let him walk. Bortles is now Jared Goff’s backup with the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are a team with visions of a championship. They’re not going to trade away an experienced backup. Besides, Bortles would just not be a good fit back in Jacksonville. He’s sort of a local kid (from the Orlando suburb of Oviedo), and expectations were always too high for him in Jacksonville. He flopped there once. Bringing him back would be the worst move the Jaguars could make.
3. Go get a veteran
This option makes a lot of sense. Again, the Jaguars have talent. A solid veteran game manager could keep them competitive. But who might be available? This may be a long shot. But let’s throw out an idea. Why not look down the Florida coast and talk to the Miami Tankers – oops, Dolphins – about Ryan Fitzpatrick? Entering the season, there was talk about how the Dolphins were tanking the season to build for the future. There was no evidence to dispute that after Miami’s 59-10 opening loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Fitzpatrick was ineffective, and the Dolphins replaced him with second-year pro Josh Rosen. Miami’s season already is over. So why wouldn’t the Dolphins go with Rosen and unload Fitzpatrick for a draft pick or two? Fitzpatrick isn’t great, but he could keep the Jaguars respectable in the short term.
2. What does Foles’ injury mean for Doug Marrone?
There’s no positive way to spin it. Marrone entered the season under pressure after last year’s disappointment. Owner Shahid Khan isn’t known for his patience. Maybe he’ll understand the significance Foles’ absence and give Marrone a pass for this season. But maybe Khan won’t accept any excuse, and Foles’ injury could mean the end of Marrone in Jacksonville.
1. Stick with what they’ve got
Rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew played surprisingly well in relief of Foles. He completed 22 of 25 passes for 275 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. For those that don’t know, Minshew is a sixth-round pick out of Washington State. Minshew was the only other quarterback on Jacksonville’s roster Sunday. The Jaguars also have Chase Litton on the practice squad, but he’s not an answer. Jacksonville’s best solution might be to bring in a veteran quarterback as a backup and turn things over to Minshew. Yeah, sixth-round picks usually don’t fare well in the NFL. But there is precedent by the name of Tom Brady. Sure, Brady might have been a once-in-a-lifetime exception. But Jacksonville’s choices are severely limited. Why not just take a shot with Minshew?
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
