How Carson Wentz injury sparked Nick Foles' improbable Super Bowl 52 run with Eagles in 2017

Daniel Mader

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How Carson Wentz injury sparked Nick Foles' improbable Super Bowl 52 run with Eagles in 2017 image

Carson Wentz was on top of the NFL world for most of the 2017 regular season.

Eventually finishing third in MVP voting in his second season, Wentz was one of the league’s most productive quarterbacks, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to an 11-2 record through 13 games with impressive numbers along the way. As things appeared, Wentz would have a chance to make a deep playoff run, further establishing himself as the Eagles’ franchise passer for years to come.

A whole lot changed for Wentz in the final portion of the 2017 season, however. Not only did he sustain a season-ending injury, but his team won a Super Bowl while he was sidelined, forever attaching a complicated championship to the quarterback’s career résumé. Wentz was never quite the same elite quarterback again.

Here’s a look back at Wentz’s 2017 injury that eventually led to the Eagles’ Super Bowl 52 run.

MORE: Why did Carson Wentz leave the Eagles?

Who did Nick Foles replace on Eagles?

In Week 14 of the 2017 regular season, Nick Foles stepped in as the Eagles’ starting quarterback for Carson Wentz. Foles, who was in his second stint with the team, had already been Philadelphia’s starter from 2012-14, but returned in the 2017 offseason as Wentz’s backup.

With Wentz suffering a season-ending injury for an Eagles squad that was pacing the NFC in 2017, Foles was tasked with continuing what Wentz had started. He took over Doug Pederson’s offense for the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs, and the Eagles went on a postseason run behind a talented defense and Foles’ arm.

Philadelphia beat the Atlanta Falcons, 15-10, in the divisional round, narrowly escaping when Matt Ryan’s late pass to the end zone fell incomplete. In the NFC Championship Game, the Eagles blew out the Minnesota Vikings, 38-7, in a big game for Foles.

Finally, in Super Bowl 52, Foles and the Eagles took down Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, 41-33, marking Brady’s third Super Bowl loss. It was Philadelphia’s first-ever Super Bowl title.

Technically, Wentz won a Super Bowl ring in the 2017 season, but his contributions only lasted until Week 14. While he was sidelined, Foles rallied the Eagles to the title, becoming a franchise legend and Super Bowl MVP in the process. The situation bled over into some quarterback controversies in the coming years for the Eagles.

When Wentz was healthy in 2018, he returned to being the Eagles' QB1 despite Foles still being on the team and the reigning Super Bowl MVP. With Wentz's injuries, Foles still started five games for Philadelphia that season, but it was Wentz who held onto the starting role — he was cemented as the team's franchise passer when he signed a four-year extension in April 2019, while Foles departed in free agency for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Wentz went on to have a few more good seasons, but injuries and the Eagles drafting Jalen Hurts in 2020 ultimately led to his exit from Philadelphia. Foles struggled as a starter in Jacksonville and Chicago before becoming a backup again, then officially retiring in 2024.

MORE: Ranking the best Eagles players of all-time

Carson Wentz Eagles injury 2017

Carson Wentz suffered a torn ACL in Week 14 of the 2017 regular season against the Rams. The quarterback, who posted 3,782 yards and 16 touchdowns as a rookie the year prior, was injured when he dove for the end zone late in a matchup against L.A., taking a shot to his knee.

Wentz remained in the game after the hit, throwing a touchdown pass despite appearing nearly immobile. He finished the matchup with 291 passing yards, four touchdowns and an interception in an eventual Eagles win, while Foles came in in relief after the injury.

Wentz was named to the Pro Bowl in 2017 and helped guide Philadelphia's Super Bowl run from the sidelines, but reported later suggested he was upset at the team's success without him — locker room issues were part of Wentz's eventual exit from the Eagles. Wentz returned from his torn ACL injury in Week 3 of the 2018 season, sending Foles back to the bench.

MORE: Full Carson Wentz teams timeline

Did Nick Foles play in the Super Bowl?

Yes, Nick Foles played in the Super Bowl in February 2018 — and he did more than just play. Foles won Super Bowl MVP after throwing for 373 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, also catching a touchdown against the Patriots while guiding Philadelphia to a 41-33 win. New England, which was seeking its sixth Lombardi Trophy with Tom Brady, came in as the favorite to continue its dynasty. While the Patriots fell, they did secure Brady's sixth title the following year. 

Plenty of moments from Super Bowl 52, especially throws from Foles, became iconic moments in Eagles history as they won their first title. 

At the end of the first half, Foles caught a touchdown pass from Trey Burton on the "Philly Special."

Foles added three touchdown passes, including the game-winning score to Zach Ertz.

Records set in Super Bowl 52 include most yards gained in any NFL game by both teams combined (1,151) and fewest punts from both teams combined in a Super Bowl (1). Brady, despite the loss, was as outstanding as ever at 40 years old, totaling a new NFL playoff record with 505 passing yards.

MORE: How the "Philly Special" got its own statue 

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