NFL PLAYER NEWS

Eagles’ Foles to start in Week 16, Wentz to avoid IR

The Sports Xchange

December 17, 2018 at 1:33 pm.

Dec 16, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) throws a pass in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams  at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 16, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) throws a pass in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Foles will remain the starting quarterback as the Philadelphia Eagles host the Houston Texans in Week 16, coach Doug Pederson announced Monday.

Pederson also announced that franchise quarterback Carson Wentz will not go on injured reserve as he deals with a stress fracture in his back that could require three months of recovery time. Pederson said that Wentz is considered “week to week.”

Foles completed 24 of 31 passes for 270 yards and an interception in Philadelphia’s 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He found a familiar target in Alshon Jeffery, as the pair connected eight times for 160 yards for the Eagles (7-7).

The 29-year-old Foles is no stranger to stepping up in place of Wentz, who sustained a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee during a Dec. 10, 2017 game against the Rams.

Wentz was considered the front-runner for league MVP honors before the injury and had to watch Foles guide the Eagles to a 41-33 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Foles earned Super Bowl Most Valuable Player honors to boot.

The 25-year-old Wentz relived Foles after the first two games of this season and completed 279 of 401 passes for 3,074 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 contests. Wentz has thrown for 70 touchdowns against 28 interceptions in 40 career games since being selected by the Eagles with the second overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.

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