By Mike Hennelly

The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are set to face each other in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years. The Chiefs won the first time in a thriller off a last-second field goal. 

Jalen Hurts Vs. Patrick Mahomes: Career Head-To-Head Ahead Of Super Bowl 59

The Eagles are making their fifth Super Bowl appearance and third in the last eight years. They have a 1-3 record in the big game with their first and only Super Bowl win being during the 2017 season against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

The Eagles beat the legendary quarterback, Brady, with their backup quarterback. Nick Foles took over for Carson Wentz who was injured on a touchdown run that was called back for offensive holding in a Week 14 game against the Los Angeles Rams. Wentz remained in the game for four more plays and threw a two-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery on fourth down. On the Eagles’ next offensive possession, Wentz was replaced by Foles.

It was later confirmed that Wentz had suffered a torn ACL and would miss the remainder of the season. Before his injury, Wentz led the Eagles to a 10-2 record and had the lead late in the third quarter in a close game against the Rams. The former second overall pick was the 2017 MVP front-runner, so his injury was a huge blow to the Eagles’ Super Bowl aspirations.

Foles finished the game against the Rams with a win and won the next two games against the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders. Former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson decided to remove his starters, including Foles, after the first quarter in a 6-0 regular-season finale loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

There was a lot of skepticism surrounding Foles and the Eagles’ offense heading into the 2017 playoffs. The Eagles were the NFC’s No. 1 seed and had a first-round bye. They hosted Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round and squeaked out a 15-10 win after a fourth down stop at the two-yard line off an incomplete pass intended for wide receiver Julio Jones.

Nick Foles Was Unintentional Demise Of Carson Wentz’s Career In Philadelphia

The Divisional Round win didn’t ease Eagles fans’ comfort with Foles and the offense heading into the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings. Foles passed for 352 yards and three touchdowns with a 141.4 passer rating in a 38-7 blowout win to punch the Eagles’ ticket to Super Bowl 52. The Eagles’ offense had 456 total yards and no turnovers in the win.

The city of Philadelphia felt a lot better with Foles and the Eagles’ chances heading into the Super Bowl against the Patriots. Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in the 41-33 victory to earn the first Super Bowl in franchise history. He delivered one of the most iconic plays in NFL history, The Philly Special, and has a statue outside of Lincoln Financial Field with Pederson to commemorate the moment forever. Foles was named Super Bowl MVP.

Wentz had to sit on the sidelines and watch Foles, his backup, go on that special run with the Eagles. With the way Wentz was playing before his injury, the Eagles likely would’ve still won the Super Bowl, but he was never the same when he returned to the field.

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After an injury-riddled 2018 season and more playoff success by Foles, there was a major quarterback controversy in Philadelphia about whether to stick with Wentz as the team’s starting quarterback or give the job to Foles. The Eagles decided to award Wentz with a massive four-year contract extension ahead of the 2019 season, and Foles signed a four-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It was a rollercoaster season for Wentz and the Eagles in 2019, but he managed to lead his team to the playoffs. The franchise quarterback was finally set to play in his first playoff game with the Eagles but was injured on the team’s second offensive possession after a hit to the head by former Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. He was ruled out with a concussion and was replaced by veteran journeyman quarterback Josh McCown. The Eagles lost 17-9 and were eliminated from the playoffs.

Quarterback Decisions That Led Jalen Hurts To Eagles’ Starting Job

After making Wentz the highest-paid player in the NFL the offseason prior, the Eagles shockingly drafted quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Wentz had the worst season of his career, leading to another quarterback controversy. The Eagles had a 3-7-1 record through Week 12, and Wentz was statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in the league.

The Eagles faced the Green Bay Packers in Week 13 of the 2020 season. They were down 20-3 midway through the third quarter, and Wentz was just 6/15 for 79 yards. Pederson replaced Wentz with the rookie Hurts who led a late comeback. It was a 23-16 game late in the fourth quarter but Hurts and the Eagles ultimately fell short, losing 30-16. Hurts was 5/12 for 109 yards and a touchdown and had 29 rushing yards.

Pederson decided to bench Wentz and stick with Hurts for the remainder of the season. The Eagles had a 1-3 record through the last four games with Hurts at the helm, but the young quarterback impressed.

The Eagles traded Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round and a conditional second-round pick. The drama was over and Hurts became the starting quarterback with first-year head coach Nick Sirianni taking over for Pederson who was fired.

Fast-forward four years and the decision to move on from Wentz and move forward with Hurts looks like it played out well for the Eagles. Hurts has a 46-20 career record as the Eagles’ starting quarterback and has led his team to four consecutive playoff appearances, including two trips to the Super Bowl. He’s a winner and one of the most dynamic quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL.

Since he left the Eagles, Wentz spent one season with the Colts, one season with the Washington Commanders, one season with the Rams, and is the current backup quarterback for the Chiefs. The 32-year-old has been relegated to a backup quarterback in the league over the last three years. 

With the Eagles and Chiefs set to face each other in Super Bowl 59 on February  9, Wentz will again have to watch his former backup play in the big game. This time he’ll be on the opposite team, but Hurts and the Eagles can cause unwelcomed flashbacks for Wentz if they end up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Who knows, maybe Patrick Mahomes will get hurt, forcing Wentz to enter the game against his former team and backup.