The Philadelphia Eagles will not place the franchise tag on quarterback Nick Foles, general manager Howie Roseman said Wednesday.
"We're going to let Nick Foles be a free agent," Roseman said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. "He deserves an opportunity to lead a team."
So, the Super Bowl LII MVP -- who has the highest completion percentage in postseason history, at 68.1 percent -- heads to market. Which team is his best fit? What will his next contract look like? And, what will the Eagles do to fill Foles' slot as Carson Wentz' primary backup? Our experts check in:
Which team is the best fit for Nick Foles in free agency?
Tim McManus, Eagles reporter: Jaguars. There is expected to be mutual interest between Foles and Jacksonville. No other obvious suitors have emerged. Foles' former quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia, John DeFilippo, is now Jacksonville's offensive coordinator. The tandem showed they work quite well together during the Eagles' 2017 championship run.
Matt Bowen, NFL writer: Jaguars. Foles gives the Jags upgraded talent at the QB position over Blake Bortles, and the scheme fit is there, too. With Foles, the Jags get a veteran pocket-passer who can attack inside off play-pass concepts, while aggressively targeting man-coverage matchups to mesh with the run-heavy approach under Doug Marrone.
Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Jaguars. I just don't see another fit at this point for Foles as a starter. Washington has a need but no cap space. The Giants would make sense if they were moving on from Eli Manning, but they aren't. Miami seems disinclined to spend. Jacksonville looks like the obvious landing spot.
Mina Kimes, NFL writer: Jaguars. While I don't think Foles is a perfect fit for the Jaguars, given their holes on offense (the line is a concern), they want to win now and he's the best quarterback available. They don't have a ton of cap space, but they can make it work.
Mike Sando, senior NFL writer: Eagles, as a well-compensated backup. He's a local hero and a great fit on the Eagles. If Foles leaves to become a starter, Jacksonville makes sense as a team with a coaching connection, the potential for a competent ground game and good talent on defense.
Kevin Seifert, national NFL writer: Eagles. In Philadelphia, Foles is basically a pseudo-starter given Carson Wentz's long injury history. Foles already has tried once to set out on his own with a team in need of a quarterback. His experience in St. Louis nearly ended his career. A player's best opportunity can be a subjective analysis.
You're the GM of the team signing Foles. What does his contract look like?
McManus: Two years, $40 million, $29 million guaranteed. A reasonable bump from the deal Case Keenum got from the Broncos in 2018 (two years, $36 million, $25 million guaranteed). Foles gets the chance to lead a franchise, and the Jags can rest easy knowing they can go in another direction if things don't work out.
Bowen: I expect there to be a market for the veteran quarterback. However, I wouldn't offer more than a two-year deal, with a max guarantee in the $20-25 million range. And that leaves the door open for the Jags to possibly target a QB on Day 2 of the draft.
Graziano: Two years, $40 million, $25 million guaranteed. I'm working off the Keenum deal with the Broncos. This deal pays Foles like a top QB for one year, so if he plays like one, it's all good and we can talk about an extension next spring. If he doesn't, all we did was pay starting QB money for one year.
Kimes: Two years, $38 million, $25 million guaranteed. Like others on this panel, I'm working off Keenum's deal; because of Washington's financial limitations and Miami's rebuilding timeline, I don't think the market for Foles will be particularly robust. Jacksonville has to make a few moves to accommodate Foles -- look for the Jags to release Bortles and Malik Jackson, amongst others -- but I don't think this is an unreasonable price for them to pay.
Sando: Denver's two-year deal with Keenum would be the blueprint. I wouldn't want to go much higher.
Seifert: Because I advocated above for Foles to return to Philadelphia, I would offer him a one-year deal at $10 million with a $750,000 bonus for each start. That's Josh McCown-style backup money that would pay him $22 million if he for some reason started an entire season. If he started half the season, he would earn $16 million.
The Eagles now have a huge hole behind Carson Wentz, who has a history of injuries. What should they do to fill it?
McManus: They like Nate Sudfeld and will give him a chance to be the No. 2, but they'll make him earn it. Adding Keenum makes sense assuming he hits the market, and they should take a run at Teddy Bridgewater if he doesn't find a starting job.
Bowen: The key here is to bring in competition for Sudfeld at the No. 2 spot. And the safe play is to target the veteran free-agent market. However, could the Eagles lean on their college scouting department to draft a Day 3 QB in a pretty deep class at the position?
Graziano: Sign Keenum after the Broncos cut him. They like Sudfeld, but there's a big difference between liking a guy and trusting him to win you important games if your injury-prone starter is hurt. Keenum fits the scheme and has the big-game experience they'd be seeking.
Kimes: I like veteran Tyrod Taylor as an option to compete with Sudfeld. Keenum makes sense, depending on the cost, but I can't shake the memory of him getting obliterated by Philadelphia in the playoffs. I think Bridgewater will look for a better starting opportunity.
Sando: Make a very solid, incentivized offer to Foles and hope he doesn't chase the money elsewhere. If Foles does leave, go after Keenum or another veteran backup.
Seifert: They should really, really consider recruiting Foles to return. If he declines, they need someone who they trust to start a significant portion of the season. Bridgewater and Keenum, in that order, would make sense.