In a stunning move, the Eagles will let Nick Foles become a free agent and seek a long-term contract

• The Philadelphia Eagles will not place the franchise tag on quarterback Nick Foles, allowing him to become a free agent and seek a long-term contract with another club.
• Foles will now be free to pursue offers from across the league and choose his destination, rather than be at the whims of the Eagles and their potential trade partner.
• Teams looking to sign Foles could include the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, and Denver Broncos, among others.

In a fairly stunning decision, the Philadelphia Eagles have opted against placing the franchise tag on Nick Foles. Instead, the team has chosen to let the former backup quarterback who led the team to its first Super Bowl title walk in free agency.

"He deserves an opportunity to lead a team," said Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The decision goes along with what seemed to be Foles' wishes heading into the offseason.

"I would love to lead a team," Foles said after the team's playoff run ended in New Orleans this year (via ESPN's Tim McManus). "The starter thing, leading a team, impacting a locker room ... that's why we play the game, to impact people, to create an atmosphere."

Foles' next chapter was one of the team's biggest question marks for the Eagles heading into the offseason. For two straight years, Foles had led Philadelphia with great success after injuries to starting quarterback Carson Wentz, including to a run to the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LII. Still, with the Eagles' future largely tied to Wentz, bringing back Foles as a backup with a steep salary made less sense as his potential value continued to rise.

Foles opted out of the final year of his contract early in the 2019 offseason, leaving the Eagles with a decision to make - let him walk, try to re-sign him, or tag him and find a trade partner.

Read more: Nick Foles is reportedly set to opt out of his contract with Philadelphia, leaving the Eagles with one final decision that will shape the quarterback market this offseason

After Foles opted out, it was expected that the Eagles would go with the latter. Placing a franchise tag on Foles would give him a one-year deal worth around $25 million, which the Eagles could then potentially trade away to ensure they received some assets in return for their departing Super Bowl MVP. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the team planned to use the tag, pursuing a trade for at least a third-round pick.

Instead, the Eagles have elected to let Foles walk, and he will now be able to take offers from teams across the league and choose his destination, rather than being sent to whichever team offered the Eagles the best trade.

Going by Roseman's comments, the team felt like it was the right way to send off Foles, but it's also possible that the right trade opportunity never materialized, and putting the franchise tag on Foles would have caused more trouble than it was worth. Most likely, it was a combination of the two.

Regardless of the reasoning, Foles is now free to take his talents wherever he prefers, for whatever teams are willing to pay. There's no shortage of potential suitors for Foles, with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, and more all at least vaguely in the market for a quarterback.

Last year, Kirk Cousins was able to sign a fully-guaranteed three-year contract worth $84 million with the Minnesota Vikings - a virtually unprecedented deal in the NFL.

Depending on the competition surrounding Foles, he could be in for a comparable payday.

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