Aug 1, 2015; Earth City, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles (5) at Rams Park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams quickly decided Nick Foles was their quarterback of the future, signing him to a two-year contract extension.
Coach Jeff Fisher broke the news during post-practice remarks Friday at Lindenwood University, grinning at the end of a lengthy answer summing up a scrimmage Friday night that drew about 4,000 fans.
"Oh yeah, it's a good deal," Fisher said. "It's a good deal. It's a good deal for us, good deal for him. He wants to be here and we want him here right now. He's done a lot of good things for us in a short period of time."
The deal begins next season and calls for $24 million in salary over two years with about $14 million guaranteed, according to reports. He had been scheduled to make $1.5 million this season.
The 26-year-old Foles seemed a lot more matter-of-fact when he stepped in front of the Rams backdrop minutes later. He said getting traded for Sam Bradford in the offseason was a lot more surprising than getting the extension, and added that had he entered the season without a new deal it wouldn't have affected him.
"Either way, I would have been me," Foles said. "I play for my teammates, I play for the people that support us, and my family. That would never change the way I play the game."
Of course, now the Rams want to see a lot more. They're trying to end a decade-long string of losing seasons heading into Fisher's fourth year.
The Rams were 6-10 last year and ended 2014 having played 25 consecutive games without Bradford, twice sidelined with season-ending left knee injuries. Austin Davis, who's competing with Case Keenum for the backup job, shared starting duties with Shawn Hill last season.
Together, those two had 20 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions.
Foles was acquired from the Eagles after Bradford declined to take a big pay cut in the final year of a five-year deal worth nearly $80 million signed as the first overall pick of the 2010 draft, and Bradford will make $12.9 million this season for Philadelphia.
And, at the very least, Foles has some job security.
"Yeah, I think If I was him I'd have a lot of peace of mind right now," the coach said. "But you also know it's his baby now, this is his team, so we've got to go win games."
Foles, a former third-round pick out of Arizona, has always known that's part of the deal.
"When you are a quarterback, you are one of the guys that everyone is going to look to automatically," Foles said. "But there's many leaders on this team that do a great job.
"That's how you build a culture of a winning franchise. So I can't do it alone."
The parties have been talking since the start of training camp and got the deal done without seeing Foles, who missed the last half of last season with a broken collarbone, in a game situation.
The Rams envision the player who had 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in a breakout 2013, the third-lowest interception percentage in NFL history, then was the 2014 Pro Bowl MVP.
Last year, Foles made eight starts and threw for 13 TDs with 10 interceptions.
"It's what he's done on the field early in his career thus far in the league and what he's done for us since he's got here," Fisher said. "He gets the game, he understands it and he's got tremendous leadership qualities.
"He can settle in and now the players can rally around them and he can rally them and we'll go on and win a lot of games."
Foles said earlier in camp that he left contract talks in care of his agent, David Dunn.
"I want to be all-in, I don't want to have to worry about contract issues or anything," Foles said. "To me, that can be selfish. I'm very fortunate to be here, I'm fortunate to have a contract."
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