Chiefs decide to not pick up option on QB Nick Foles, who is now a free agent

Another year, another sad story to add to the Nick Foles NFL saga. After a final reprieve from former coach Andy Reid, Foles’ short career in Kansas City is now over with the quarterback’s option not being exercised, according to NFL’s Mike Garafolo.

Foles only played in three games for the Chiefs in 2016, completing 36 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns. The quarterback was signed as a clear backup to a one-year deal worth $1.75 million. He’ll be entering a free agent quarterback market that is rather weak outside of Tony Romo, who is expected to be in a two-team race between the Texans and Broncos.

His time in Kansas City came after a one-year stint with the Rams, thanks to a coaching change and culture shift with the Philadelphia Eagles. The fifth-year quarterback out of Arizona was the last passer drafted for the Eagles by Andy Reid — picked up in the third round at No. 88 overall.

Foles came into the league with a bang, stepping in for the oft-injured Michael Vick in seven games his rookie year. He finished his first season with 161 completions for 1,699 yards (60.8 percent completion) and six touchdowns. Despite his quarterback’s success, Andy Reid’s team finished the 2012 season 4-12, leading to his exit from the team.

The Eagles went on to hire Oregon coach Chip Kelly, for his first head coaching job in the NFL, and Foles turned out to be a fine short-term solution for the transition. Kelly’s offense saw immense success in it’s inaugural season, with Foles leading the charge with 203 passes for 2,891 yards and 27 touchdowns in his 13 games. The quarterback finished his second year with a 119.2 passer rating thanks to only two interceptions and two fumbles on the season.

Foles would only be with the Eagles one more year, before Kelly along with the front office would collect a who’s who of injured and inaccurate quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford. Following the 2013 season, the Eagles did a 1-for-1 trade with the Rams, swapping Nick Foles for Sam Bradford — years later and it’s safe to say no one won in the trade.

Both quarterbacks ended up being with their new team for just one season, before packing their bags and heading to yet another new city. Three years later and Foles could be adding yet another city to his resume as he continues his career as a journeyman quarterback in a pretty bad market.