Eagles backup quarterback Nick Foles has yet to play a snap this preseason while dealing with elbow pain. Following a week-long absence from practice, Foles returned on Monday, only to be once again excused from Tuesday's session.
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The good news, at least for those hoping to see Foles back on the field, is that this time it had nothing to do with his sore elbow. Instead, Foles wasn’t even in the building due to an illness that head coach Doug Pederson would like to prevent from spreading through the locker room.
However, it’s still looking like there’s a decent chance Foles sits out the preseason finale. Whether or not that’s because he’s still sick or because his elbow still isn’t 100 percent remains to be seen.
“Fine. Doing well,” Pederson said when asked about the status of Foles’ elbow following practice. “Day-to-day still. Getting better. We're just pushing towards the regular season.”
And that last line – the part about “pushing towards the regular season” – is probably the most important. Because even though the second-year coach said the elbow was fine, it certainly sounds like he’s not expecting the 28-year-old to play at all this preseason.
Moreover, Pederson seems just fine with that.
“I’m comfortable with him not playing, obviously, if that's the way I go Thursday night,” he said when asked about the possibility of Foles, whom Pederson knows from when he was QB coach with the Eagles during Foles’ rookie year, not playing against the Jets. “I’ve been around Nick a long time. Had him here years ago and watched his career. He's a veteran guy that knows how to get himself prepared and ready for games. I'm not concerned in any way.”
The real concern shouldn’t be over whether or not Foles needs the practice, but rather the fact that the Eagles have a backup quarterback who may not be ready to play if called upon.
Either way, it doesn’t sound like we’ll see Foles on Thursday.
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