A bond and a desire to win brought Nick Foles and Frank Reich together again

INDIANAPOLIS -- Nick Foles was facing another offseason after another team moved on from him. He was 10 years into this pro football life, and he and his wife were curious about where to turn next.

That's when Frank Reich called. A familiar voice was on the phone with a sales pitch.

Foles had just finished with the Bears, who traded for him before drafting Justin Fields and who spent the past two years mostly riding out his contract. He didn't hit free agency until after the draft, when most teams not only had a starting quarterback but also a succession plan at the position.

He wasn't concerned with climbing the ladder in his next spot. At 33 years old, after playing for five franchises with 56 starts, he was able to be honest with himself:

He's a backup.

"When you're a starter, you're taking the reins of the team. You're talking more," Foles said. "Obviously, when you're a backup, you're always preparing to play, but your voice is going to be different. You're going to be listening more. You're going to be observing more.

"With me, it's always being the biggest fan of whoever's starting, to cheer him on but to also know when they're playing that I have their back. ... I think you can be prepared to play, but at the same time, you can want your buddy to succeed because then your team's succeeding."

To cheer for another starter, it helps to believe in him. To see him succeed is to have a team around him.

So the Colts became a match even before the element of Reich. They were fresh off a 9-8 season in which they collapsed down the stretch with a fading passing game. They then traded for Matt Ryan, a four-time Pro Bowler and 14-year starter, accolades Foles is well aware of.

"He's the NFL MVP. The guy's a great player," Foles said. "I'm excited to learn from him because he knows a lot about the game. I know a lot about the game. Maybe I know more about certain plays than he does, but he knows more about these plays, so we can come together and help each other out and if we do that, the team gets better.

"This is Matt's team. Matt Ryan is the leader. He's running this ship."

It was an easy setting to sell for a familiar friend.

Reich and Foles go back to their days in Philadelphia, when Foles famously stepped in for an injured Carson Wentz in the 2017 playoffs and threw for nearly 1,000 yards in three postseason wins, including 373 in a 41-33 takedown of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

"He understands the role," Foles said of Reich, who spent 14 years as a backup NFL quarterback. "It's hard when a coach comes over and starts grinding on you in the middle of a game. A lot of times that coach likely never played the position or was a backup because they don't understand. But he gets it, and that's why we had a lot of success in Philadelphia."

He recalls a specific moment from the Super Bowl. Philadelphia was looking to add to an early lead, and Foles uncorked a ball near the goal line that was intercepted. When he got to the sideline, Reich told him, "You're good. Your feet were good." He told him to go get the next one.

The next drive ended with Foles catching the "Philly Special" in the end zone.

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That Super Bowl run sent Reich's and Foles' careers into overdrive, landing Reich his first head coaching job with the Colts and Foles his first starting opportunity with the Jaguars. Foles signed for four years and $88 million in Jacksonville before the team dealt him to the Bears.

Reich won a playoff game in his first season with Andrew Luck before his quarterback abruptly retired, and results have been mixed since. Reich has gone through four starting quarterbacks in four years, most recently Wentz, the man Foles relieved in Philadelphia.

Foles isn't stepping in as a starter for Reich now. Rather, he's back in the place where they've always connected the most. As Ryan takes command of an entire roster and game plans week to week on new opponents, Reich can coach through Foles and have that influence lift the offense.

And if something were to happen to Ryan, who has missed one game in the past 12 seasons, Reich knows exactly what he has stepping into the game.

"Sometimes there are backups that can come in and manage a game and squeak out a win or two, and there are some that can throw for 500 yards and win a game," Reich said. "That’s what Nick has proven he can do. He can win a shootout. He can win the shootout and he can win a close game, make the key plays in a close game."

But this was just as much about Foles trusting Reich and the role he has laid out for him. He liked the opportunity but wanted a commitment. A sixth team in 11 seasons is a lot, so he asked for two years on the contract and the Colts gave it to him.

All he had to do then was sign on the dotted line.

"I want to be here," Foles said. "I know this is the ladder part of my career, but my goal is to be here, whatever role it is, as long as I can play, as long as they want me, as long as it's a healthy environment and everyone's getting along."

Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Why Nick Foles wanted to play for Frank Reich again