PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 30: Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after throwing an incomplete pass during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lincoln Financial Field on November 30, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Things have turned very sour for Carson Wentz with the Philadelphia Eagles. The former No. 2 pick is currently having the worst season of his career.
Wentz is currently posting career lows in completion percentage (58.1), yards per attempt (6.0), and yards per game (231), and has a career high 15 interceptions through just 11 games. His 3.6-percent interception rate is by far the worst of his career, and is just a shade below is touchdown rate (3.8-percent). He has also taken a career high 46 sacks on the year.
The Eagles obviously have issues extending way beyond Wentz, but his play has been brutal. Last night, he struggled in a 23-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, that pushes the team into third place in the horrendous NFC East at 3-7-1, behind the 4-7 New York Giants and Washington Football Team.
According to Jeremy Fowler, one Philadelphia Eagles source tells him that he believes that one issue is the team’s selection of Jalen Hurts. The former Alabama and Oklahoma star quarterback hasn’t carved out a major role after being taken in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but there have been hints that he might start being used more, and he did briefly replace Wentz last night. Fowler says that his source believes Hurts has caused Wentz to “press.”
One Eagles source believes the Jalen Hurts pick caused Carson Wentz to press.
"All that ground he gained over Nick (Foles), everything he fought past to get to this point, you pull it right back (with Hurts)."
Inside Wentz's struggles. https://t.co/5pbk83SA6w
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 1, 2020
Hurts only played two offensive snaps on Monday night, completing his only pass attempt for six yards. His season high is seven snaps during the Week 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Carson Wentz already had to overcome Nick Foles leading the franchise in his absence, after injuries cut short what looked like an MVP-caliber campaign in 2017. Per Fowler, the selection of Hurts throws Wentz right back into the situation where he is unsure if he is the long term answer for the team at quarterback.
Using a second-round pick on a former national champion in Hurts was a bold move by Philadelphia, and a source with knowledge of the Wentz-Eagles dynamic said Wentz was not exactly thrilled with the pick.
“All that ground he gained over Nick, everything he fought past to get to this point, you pull it right back,” the source said. “Here is your franchise quarterback, the guy you paid a lot of money to keep long-term, and he’s having to prove himself all over again.”
There is some talk that the Eagles could make wholesale changes after this deeply disappointing season, which could impact Wentz and/or head coach Doug Pederson. Just a few years removed from an impressive Super Bowl run, it is a pretty shocking turn for what looked like one of the NFL’s most stable, well-run franchises.
[ESPN]
