The Kansas City Chiefs are likely to decline the looming option on Nick Foles’ contract in order to save over $6 million of cap space. Where could he head next?
Word is already out on a few of the Kansas City Chiefs upcoming personnel moves, one of which being the declining of Nick Foles’ contract option for 2017. Despite reports that Foles’ 2017 cap hit is not the oft-reported total of $10+ million and is instead $6+ million, the Chiefs are still expected to allow the veteran quarterback to explore the free agent market.
Foles is the definition of a fringe starter in the NFL, the sort of youngish talent that will get at least one more good chance to lead an NFL offense in Week 1, at least as a placeholder for a developing young arm on someone’s roster. Foles has decent enough past success, and he looked good in relief of Alex Smith last season. That’s enough to get you a second chance in today’s QB-starved NFL.
As Marc Sessler of NFL.com attempts to discern where this year’s quarterbacks could end up when the carousel stop spinning, he has Foles headed to the Tennessee Titans to play a role similar to his back-up role in Kansas City. Sessler thinks less of Foles’ ability to start (or less of the average GM’s desperation) than we do. He writes:
"What kind of a team would try to sell its fan base on Foles as a starter? Nobody looking to sell tickets. Outside of landing with a squad like the Jets, Foles makes sense as a backup forevermore. With Kansas City expected to decline his option, a gig with the Titans fits. The aging Matt Cassel is a free agent, leaving just trick-shot artist Alex Tanney behind on-the-mend starter Marcus Mariota."
What’s interesting about Tennessee, from a Chiefs perspective, is that every other quarterback mentioned is affiliated with Kansas City as well. Alex Tanney spent some time on the Chiefs roster as a camp flyer, and Cassel needs no introduction, of course.
Now if Tyler Palko happens to surface in the NFL once more…