Nick Foles Won’t Attend Jaguars OTAs for Personal Reasons; No Return Timetable

John Raoux/Associated Press

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles will not attend OTAs due to personal reasons, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic.

Popper added there is no timetable for Foles’ return. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that while Foles could be back by the end of the week, his absence is “open-ended.”

The Jags have OTAs scheduled for Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, as well as June 3, 4, 6 and 7. Veteran mandatory minicamp will then be held from June 11 to 13.

Per John Oehser of the Jaguars’ official website, head coach Doug Marrone released a statement, saying, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Nick and his family.”

This offseason, Jacksonville signed Foles to a four-year, $88 million contract with a $25 million signing bonus and over $50 million in guaranteed money.

The Jags were in desperate need of a quarterback after Blake Bortles bottomed out in 2018, which resulted in Jacksonville’s plummet from the AFC Championship Game to 5-11 in just one year. Foles was the best free-agent option available. While he primarily served as Carson Wentz’s backup with the Philadelphia Eagles the past two seasons, he performed at a high level when called upon.

During the 2017 season, Foles went 2-1 as a starter during the regular season and led Philly on an improbable playoff run that saw it beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Foles was named MVP of that game.

Then, Foles went 4-1 as a starter during the 2018 regular season and helped the Eagles sneak into the playoffs. Foles and the Eagles beat the Chicago Bears before they fell to the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round.

The 30-year-old Foles has made 44 regular-season starts in his career with the Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. He owns a 26-18 record and has completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 11,165 yards, 68 touchdowns and 33 interceptions.

Foles—a one-time Pro Bowler—also has six games of starting experience in the playoffs.

In Jacksonville, Foles will look to supplement a dominant defense and a potentially strong running game spearheaded by Leonard Fournette.

He is also reuniting with Jags offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, who was Foles’ quarterback coach in Philadelphia in 2017 when the team won the Super Bowl.

While missing some valuable practice time with his new team could be a negative, the fact that Foles is familiar with DeFilippo’s offense suggests he may not be too far behind by the time he returns.