PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 01: Quarterback Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on after an incomplete pass on fourth down and one in the final minute of the second quarter of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on November 01, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)A number of things are believed to have contributed to the Philadelphia Eagles‘ willingness to trade QB Carson Wentz. But a new report suggests that something crucial to playing may have been the biggest reason.
According to Albert Breer of SI.com, the problems really started when Mike Groh replaced Frank Reich as the Eagles offensive coordinator. Groh and Wentz reportedly clashed, leading to Groh’s ousting after the 2019 season.
Groh had a reputation for being a hard coach, while his successor, Press Taylor, was more friendly to Wentz. This in turn led to a perception among the Eagles that Carson Wentz “couldn’t handle hard coaching.”
“When Wentz was at his best, he had a good cop (head coach Doug Pederson), medium cop (Reich) and bad cop (ex-QBs coach John DeFilippo) working with him,” Breer wrote. “After Reich left for Indy and DeFilippo for Minnesota post-Super Bowl, the Eagles promoted Mike Groh to OC, and Groh assumed the bad cop role. He and Wentz clashed and Groh was fired as a result, while Press Taylor, who Wentz was close with, ascended. As a result, perception in the building grew that the Eagles were coddling him, and that Wentz couldn’t handle hard coaching.”
2.22 MMQB!
The inside story of how the @Eagles' union with Carson Wentz fractured, and broke—and how the trade went down. Plus …
💥 WFT's unique 🏈 structure.
💥 Remembering #Tebowmania.
💥 More QB movement intel.
💥 A Mac/Tua nugget.
💥 MORE!https://t.co/fcDUkufuwQ— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 22, 2021
The end result speaks for itself. Carson Wentz struggled mightily in the 2020 season, and Eagles head coach Doug Pederson paid for it with his job.
The Eagles subsequently traded Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts, ridding themselves of his albatross of a contract.
Ironically, Wentz’s trade to the Colts will also reunite him with Groh, who serves on Frank Reich’s staff.
We’ll find out quickly if he’s as bad as he looked in 2020, or if he needed a new home.
