The Philadelphia Eagles have seen enough of the 2020 version of Carson Wentz. Just a few seasons ago, the former North Dakota State standout was a front-runner to win the NFL’s MVP award.
Now, he’s planning to hold the clipboard for the rookie quarterback, Jalen Hurts. Wentz’s benching came midway through last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers. As the Eagles struggled to produce on offense, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson threw in the former Oklahoma standout to see if he could get a drive going.
Although the Eagles didn’t score on Hurts’ first full NFL drive, the rookie showed promise. So, the Eagles kept him in and called it a night for Wentz. Hurts completed five of 12 passes for 109 yards a touchdown and an interception. He also scrambled five times for 29 yards.
The Eagles didn’t come out on top with a win against a tough Green Bay team, but Hurts’ performance offered the struggling offense a boost. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson didn’t commit to a starter following the game but eventually decided to roll with Hurts starting, and Wentz benched officially, just one year after offering him a franchise quarterback contract, which includes over $107 million guaranteed.
Some might believe the Eagles’ decision to start Hurts over Wentz signals the end of the Carson Wentz era in Philly, but a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter states otherwise.
“None of this changes the belief that people have in Carson,” one team source insisted to ESPN this weekend.
Philadelphia doesn’t know how its quarterback situation will play out and doesn’t know what the future holds for Wentz. But the Eagles are on the clock, in a sense, to decide Wentz’s immediate future with the organization.
Of course, a string of strong performances from Hurts could certainly force the Eagles change their minds as the season concludes, but at the moment, the Eagles will be wise to remain patient with the situation.
While Wentz’s struggles were part of the Eagles’ problems this season, there’s plenty of blame to go around. Philly is a bad football team. And there are no guarantees Hurts comes out firing on all cylinders and turns the Eagles around for a comeback late in the season.
It’s easy to say the Wentz era is finished in Philly because Wentz was benched, but the Eagles have a lot of thinking to do regarding the situation over the next offseason.
