By Victoria Lavelle

The Philadelphia Eagles confirmed publicly that they are committed to starting quarterback Carson Wentz as the future of the franchise, but what about Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles?

Though Wentz has been the man that many Eagles fans want to invest their faith in — the past two consecutive years have been plagued with injuries that have forced Foles into the starter role. It’s a role that Foles has adapted into on a moment’s notice and performed amazingly well at.

To be thorough, Foles has led the Philadelphia Eagles through two back-toback playoff runs, racking up surprising wins and a legendary Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots along the journey.

However, with Wentz cemented in as the Bird’s long-term starter, it seems inevitable that Foles will part ways with the team in 2019.

As a die-hard Eagles fan for 46 years, I have to scratch my head in disbelief as to how the Eagles could part ways with the only quarterback in franchise history to capture the city its only Super Bowl title.

Before anyone dare lash out at me with a montage of Wentz’s numbers and statistics, please hit the pause button and simply hear me out.

Without question, Wentz’s statistics on the field have indeed been impressive. However, what good are a bunch of stats if the Eagles aren’t winning?

There isn’t an Eagles fan in existence who would disagree that at the end of the forth quarter, the only numbers that truly matter are the ones on the score board that account for WINS — not losses.

A quarterback can possess the most talent in the world, but if he can’t stay healthy throughout an entire NFL season, then it’s worth questioning if he’s worth investing the team’s future in?

Moreover, who will the team turn to save the season in 2019 if Wentz can’t live up to all the hype? There comes a point when Eagles fans have to decide if they want to be a dynasty team, or simply remain a construction zone that only builds up impressive stats for Wentz.

I, like most avid Eagles fans, had high hopes for Wentz when he was originally drafted from North Dakota. Yet, to have such a young quarterback plagued with so many mounting injuries, so early in his career, doesn’t seem promising heading into the 2019 season.

Foles’ current deal with the Philadelphia Eagles is set to pay him $20 million in his final year, but a mutual option between him and the team that allows him several paths to enter unrestricted free agency is still very much in play.

Under the contract, Foles would give back $2 million of his $20 million salary for 2019, which is precipitated by his option of being picked up, in order to hit the open market.

As of Feb. 6, Foles has reportedly bought himself out of his contract for the price of $2 million after the team exercised their option on him, according to Ian Rapoport at RapSheet.

He is now set to become a free agent.

More reason for concern, the New York Giants are coming off a disappointing 5-11 season and could very well be shopping around for a new quarterback for the future of its franchise.

38-year-old Eli Manning has spent the last two seasons behind a permeable offensive line and his contract expires at the conclusion of next year. The mere thought of Foles signing with another NFC East team is enough to turn the stomachs of every Eagles fan.

Additionally, 57 percent of Eagles fans prefer Nick Foles to be the starting quarterback in 2019, compared to just 42 percent who support Carson Wentz, according to a poll conducted by The Tylt.

A scathing story by Philly Voice describes Wentz as “egotistical,” “selfish,” and “uncompromising” by more than a half-dozen players and other sources, all of whom were quoted anonymously. He was accused of playing favorites and resisting certain concepts because he viewed them as “Foles stuff.”

So what gives?

The future of the Eagles team is yet to be determined, so we can only hope for now that the right decisions are made and that everything falls into place.

As for Foles, the only thing that really seems a guarantee at this point is that the spirit and magic of St. Nick will more than likely be a fading memory. A memory that we can only pray doesn’t come back to haunt us in the end.

Contact Victoria Lavelle at communitarian@mail.dccc.edu