Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles passes against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
In 2017, Nick Foles took over starting quarterback duties for the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, filling in for an injured Carson Wentz. He then led the team to the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory.
On Sunday — Week 15 in 2018 — Foles again started at QB for the Eagles, again filling in for an injured Wentz. And he led the Eagles, who are fighting for their playoff lives, to an upset victory over the mighty L.A. Rams. According to ESPN, it marked the second-largest upset of the season — the Eagles were 13.5-point underdogs — and Philadelphia’s largest upset win since 1985.
At 7-7, Philly likely needs to win out to have a chance at the postseason, while the Rams at 11-3 have already clinched a berth. On Monday, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Foles will remain the starter for Week 16 against Houston.
“It was really emotional,” Foles said about his week. “You hate for your teammate to get hurt. I’ve said it before. I feel really bad for Carson. We’re tight in that QB room. … You go through the human emotions. I don’t care what you’ve done in the past — it doesn’t matter once you step onto that field. It’s a new day. It was really just dealing with the emotions, prepping as hard as I could and then realizing I wasn’t alone. I have great teammates out there.”
While Foles will get at least one more start, it’s unclear after that. Wentz has a stress fracture in his back, which could require three months of recovery. But as he seeks outside medical opinions, he hasn’t been ruled out for the season.
After facing the 10-4 Houston Texans at home, Philadelphia closes the regular season at Washington on Dec. 30.
Tony Dungy in December 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE AND JASON ROMANO, FEATURING TONY DUNGY
Tony Dungy is a Super Bowl-winning, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach. He’s currently doing analyst work with NBC Sports’ “Sunday Night Football.”
Today on the podcast, we welcome back Tony Dungy to talk about his adoption story (12 kids!), staying connected to God, being bold in his faith, and encouraging others to share their faith as well.
Friday night had been terrible for Jesus’ followers. Their leader had been arrested and killed. They hastily buried him, leaving everyone frightened and confused. No one had expected this. After observing the Passover Mary Magdalene went with some women Sunday morning to finish… pic.twitter.com/xAXsFqK3M6
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David Pollack is a former University of Georgia All-American linebacker, who was a first-round draft pick in 2005 by the Cincinnati Bengals. After his playing career, he spent more than a decade at ESPN as a college football analyst. He is also the co-host of the “Family Goals” podcast and the host of the “See Ball Get Ball” podcast.
Today on Sports Spectrum, David Pollack discusses his wife’s brain cancer battle, trusting God in the storm, carrying your cross, and the current state of college football.
Former New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr points heavenward after a touchdown, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
Four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr announced Saturday that he is retiring from the NFL after 11 professional seasons. The 34-year-old former New Orleans Saint and Oakland/Las Vegas Raider ends his career with 257 regular-season touchdown passes and 41,245 passing yards while completing 65.1% of his throws.
“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with (my wife) Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League,” Carr said in a statement released by the Saints. “For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience. It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.”
In a post on his Instagram account, Carr wrote, “Through it all, I gave this game everything I had every single day. I sleep well knowing that I gave my teammates, my coaches, and my cities my all. Now, I look forward to whatever God has next and I’ll pursue it with the same fire I brought to the field.”
He also posted a video of Heather documenting her husband’s activities on the first day of his retirement.
In late March, while preparing for the 2025 season, Carr and his doctors discovered he had a labral tear and significant degenerative changes to the rotator cuff in his right (throwing) shoulder. He ultimately opted for retirement rather than undergo surgery and miss most, if not all, of the season.
Carr spent the last two years with the Saints after nine with the Raiders, the franchise that drafted him 36th overall out of Fresno State in 2014. He is the all-time leader in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns in Raiders history.
Throughout his career, Carr has boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus. He has a tattoo of a Chi Rho (an early Christian symbol) on his right wrist and one referencing the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11on his left.
“All the self-glory, that stuff is fleeting. I’ve already been through that,” Carr said after a 2021 win with the Raiders. “God took me to a place that all I want to do is glorify Him, and wherever He’s going, that’s where I want to go. So if it’s a win, awesome. If not, I’m still gonna glorify Him.”
In a Sports Spectrum video from 2014, Carr explained how he first became a believer. He was claiming to love God while in college at Fresno State, but his actions weren’t reflecting it. It was then that Heather (just a friend at the time) wrote him a letter to challenge him in his faith. He apologized to Heather, repented and trusted anew in Christ.
“That next week, we had a game at the University of Ole Miss. I got up in front of my whole team and I told them, ‘Guys, I’ve been calling myself a Christian, and I haven’t been living it. You guys know what I’ve been doing. I’m a Christian now, and I’ve asked God for His forgiveness. Now watch how I live my lifestyle.'”
Later, he added, “That’s how I know He’s with me — because I have a peace and a joy. I can’t describe it, but I have it and I know it’s real.”
Carr is a gifted speaker and has accepted many invitations to speak at churches throughout his time in the football spotlight. In fact, he nearly quit football years ago to become a pastor before ultimately realizing God had called him to the gridiron.
“It was in that moment where I think the Lord knew that my heart was His, and I’ve been able to minister to thousands of people,” Carr said in 2022 on “The High Note” podcast, hosted by Christian musician Tauren Wells. “I’ve been in stadiums — 15,000, 18,000 people — preaching the Gospel and watching thousands of people get saved. I’ve seen healings take place. I’ve seen people set free. I’ve seen marriages reunite. I’ve seen kids come back home. All while playing football.”
As he said during a Night of Worship event with the Saints last year, “God did something in my life. He radically transformed and changed my life and I can’t help but tell people about Jesus.”
Now, as Carr’s playing days have come to a close, he knows that God’s call on his life to proclaim the Good News of Christ never will.
Kendrick Bourne in 2024. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
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Kendrick Bourne is a wide receiver with the New England Patriots. He went undrafted in 2017 despite having a stellar college career at Eastern Washington, but eventually signed with the San Francisco 49ers, making the final roster as a rookie. He spent four seasons in San Francisco (2017-20) before signing with New England in 2021. He’s scored 11 touchdowns in his four seasons with the Patriots.
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