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Philadelphia Eagles Nick Foles is 2014 NFL Pro Bowl Bound.
Although deserving, Foles was not selected to the original Pro Bowl roster. Instead, he was chosen as a first alternate. Now that five of the remaining six quarterbacks in the NFL playoffs are Pro Bowlers, it's a guarantee Foles will make the final 2014 Pro Bowl roster. At least one of the five Pro Bowl QBs will be playing in the Super Bowl, which is one week after the Pro Bowl. Super Bowl players don't play in the Pro Bowl, so that means there will be an open spot for Foles.
Foles is the first Eagles quarterback to make the Pro Bowl since Michael Vick in 2010. Assuming he accepts the invite, he will be one of two players representing the Eagles. LeSean McCoy, the NFL's leading rusher, will be there along with Foles. Left tackle Jason Peters was originally named to the 2014 Pro Bowl roster, but recently decided to opt out of the opportunity.
This Pro Bowl berth for Foles isn't exactly something people saw coming into this season, especially considering Michael Vick was originally starting at quarterback for the Eagles. But alas, it was meant to be, and the honor is well deserved. Foles excelled in Vick's injury-related absence and that led Eagles coach Chip Kelly to stick with the second year quarterback for the remainder of the season. The decision paid off. Philadelphia finished with a 10-6 record, a playoff berth, and the NFC East division crown after a 3-5 start to the season. The Eagles were 8-2 in the games Foles started.
Foles finished the regular season with 27 TD to only 2 INT for 2891 yards with a 64% completion and a league-best 119.2 passer rating. Not bad for a guy who "didn't fit Chip Kelly's offense", as some had speculated due to Foles' lack of mobility. Foles truly flourished in the rookie coach's system.
The 2014 NFL Pro Bowl's structure is unlike previous years. No longer is the typical NFC vs. AFC format. Instead, there will be a first ever Pro Bowl draft. The two teams will be picked by Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders. The game itself will take place in Hawaii on January 26th, 2014. And Nick Foles will be there. For Eagles fans, this honor is ideally the first of more to come in the future for the team's 24 year old QB.