What if Chip Kelly never left Oregon for the Philadelphia Eagles?

Nov 2, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Would Nick Foles be the guy in Philadelphia? Would Mark Sanchez still be a thing?

Well, if Foles’ first season under Kelly was any indicator of how good of a player he is, you betcha. However, in the season before Kelly’s arrival, Foles, who was battling Michael Vick for playing time, and finished the season with almost twice as many turnovers as he had touchdowns.

So that’s where the question derives from, would Nick Foles be the player he is, was in 2013, without Kelly?

Foles was injured in the 2014 season. He led the Eagles to a 6-2 record as the starter, but statistically, he wasn’t doing great, which raised a lot of eyebrows around the league. Maybe he’s not a Kelly guy? Kelly likes agile, dual-threat guys, and Foles is capable of being that, just not like what Kelly had at Oregon.

Kelly’s offense works wonders on both levels of football. However, as Nick Foles can attest to, playing quarterback for Kelly in the NFL may be a risky job, as Kelly’s offense sometimes exposes quarterbacks to big hits. Foles had a great 2013 campaign. I’m not quite ready to say he’s the guy in Philadelphia, but what would he be without Kelly in Philadelphia?

Well, we saw what he was without Kelly in his rookie season, but does he have the tools to excel out of Kelly’s offense? That’s the question. I’ll answer it by saying this, there are many NFL teams that would gladly welcome Nick Foles into their franchise, but would he succeed? That remains uncertain.

I will say this, though, he had a heck of year back in 2013, and that season he showed lots of promise. So yeah, I think Foles could potentially be an average quarterback in the NFL, if he was in the right system.

Sanchez, without Kelly, on the other hand, would likely be found trying out for the NFL at this year’s NFL Veteran Combine. Kelly’s a fan of Sanchez, calling him a “hell of a quarterback” when they signed him, and for awhile Sanchez held his own after Foles went down to an injury.

This quote might as well read, “said no one, ever”. However, Sanchez worked in Kelly’s offense. So that raises the question, can anyone quarterback the Eagles?

Next: So, what if Kelly never left Oregon?