The Carson Wentz era in Philadelphia came to an end today, when the former runner-up in the overall standings was shared with the Colts. But just because Wentz got packed doesn’t necessarily mean Jalen hurts slides to the starting spot. Sources tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen that the Eagles plan to bring “competition” to the quarterback, and the “runway won’t automatically go to Hurts”.
The Eagles made a significant commitment to Hurts when they selected him in the second round of last year’s draft, and the former Alabama / Oklahoma star showed flashes of potential during the 2020 season. Hurts eventually started four of them last season. his 15 appearances and completed 52 percent of his passes for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. He added an additional 354 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 63 carriers.
It’s pretty clear that Hurts is the heir to the quarterback spot, so this report is probably mostly lip service … teams don’t want their young players resting on their laurels. Instead, the team is likely looking for a veteran-free agent who will give the young signal caller some extra motivation.
Let’s take a look at some more Wentz-centric notes:
- The Foals eventually sent Philly a third round for 2021 and a conditional second round for 2022. According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, Indy’s offer had “not changed that much in 10 days of negotiation.” The Colts front office ultimately felt the compensation was “ fair ” and they never intended to “ live up to the Eagles’ initial demands for multiple first-round picks. ” According to Keefer, the Colts understood that Wentz was not their only option to replace Philip Rivers, and the front office considered other options during the negotiations with Philadelphia.
- We heard earlier today that the Bears had asked for Wentz but never made a final offer. The same goes for the PatriotsAccording to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, New England called the Eagles about the quarterback, but lost interest when they heard the asking price. As the reporter points out, the Patriots are unlikely to “pay too much for a veteran if they don’t fit perfectly,” especially at this point in the off-season.
- How did it get to this point between Wentz and the EaglesESPN’s Tim McManus writes that the drafting of Hurts may have marked the “beginning of the end,” but there were plenty of additional factors that came into play during the 2020 season. As the Eagles’ losses and injuries continued to soar, ( former) head coach Doug Pederson Wentz took “much of his control over the offense.” As a result, Wentz deputy lost faith in his head coach and the system.
- Wentz didn’t just lose faith in Pederson. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Wentz “has confidence in it [general manager Howie Roseman‘s] decision. Wentz had a similar sentiment towards the owner Jeffrey Lurie, who backed his GM and the front office decision to select Hurts in the second round.