Nick Foles will return as the Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback following their bye week, coach Doug Marrone said Tuesday.
Foles has been out since suffering a broken left collarbone in the season opener, undergoing surgery to install a plate and screws. He will return Nov. 17 when the Jaguars play at the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11.
“Nick will be our starting quarterback going forward,” Marrone said at a press conference.
Foles replacement, rookie Gardner Minshew II, played well enough that Foles’ return to the starting lineup wasn’t a given. Marrone informed the quarterbacks and then the rest of the team Tuesday morning.
“It was obviously my decision,” Marrone said. “Worked hard on it.”
Minshew, a sixth-round pick out of Washington State, has guided the Jaguars to a 4-4 record, completing 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,285 yards, with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. He didn’t leave a positive impression Sunday, though, committing four turnovers — including two interceptions — in a 26-3 loss to the Houston Texans in London.
In his brief appearance in Week 1, Foles was 5-of-8 passing for 75 yards with a touchdown.
The Jaguars signed Foles to a four-year, $88 million contract in the offseason. The contract includes $50.1 million in guarantees. He led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl championship in 2018 and was the game’s MVP.