Former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles will be leaving the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent after the team decided against keeping him on a franchise tag for next season.
Foles famously stepped in after regular Eagles QB Carson Wentz got injured and led the team to their first Super Bowl victory in 2018 - also being named the MVP of that game against the New England Patriots.
Wentz won his place back last season but Foles was again called upon when the starter got injured and, again, he starred as he led Philly to the play-offs and a victory over the Chicago Bears before a tough loss in New Orleans.
With the Eagles blessed with two starter-worthy quarterbacks, they opted to remain loyal to Wentz, leading Foles to opt out of his contract by paying back a $2m bonus early in February.
The Eagles have now decided to let Foles leaves as a free agent and he will surely prove to be popular once the league year starts in March.
"We're going to let Nick Foles be a free agent," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
"He's a tremendous player, Super Bowl MVP, and someone we feel is a top 15 quarterback in this league. We were incredibly fortunate to have him and wish him the best of luck in the future.
"He deserves an opportunity to lead a team. It's a goal of his to lead another team and lead another locker room and we feel at this point it's the right decision."
30-year-old Foles had an up-and-down career until his unheralded move to Philadelphia, which turned out to be the best signing in the team's history, but his displays were still not enough to win the starting QB job - which is now what he craves.
"I would love to lead a team," Foles said. "The starter thing, leading a team, impacting a locker room - that's why we play the game, to impact people, to create an atmosphere."
Related NFL content
