The Carson Wentz the era in Philadelphia came to an end today as the Colts were awarded the former second overall pick. Just because Wentz packs, it’s not necessarily Jalen Hurts will slide to the starting point. Sources tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen that the Arende intends to establish a “competition” at the quarter, and the “start work is not expected to go to Hurts automatically.”
The Eagles made a significant commitment to Hurts when they selected him in the second round of last year’s draft, and the former standout in Alabama / Oklahoma during the 2020 season. Hurts finally started four of his 15 games last season and completed 52 percent of his passes for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions. He added another 354 running yards and carried three touchdowns at 63.
It’s pretty clear that Hurts is the heir to the quarterfinals, so this report is probably mostly lip service … teams do not want their young players to rest on their laurels. On the contrary, the team is likely to look to a veteran free agent who will provide some extra motivation to the young signal caller.
Let’s take a look at some more Wentz-centric notes:
- The Colts finally, Philly sent a third-round pick in 2021 and a conditional 2022 second-round pick. According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, Indy’s offer “did not change much during ten days of negotiations.” The Colts front office eventually believed the compensation was “fair,” and they never intended to “meet the Eagles’ initial demands of multiple first-round picks.” Per Keefer, the Colts understood that Wentz was not their only option to replace Philip Rivers, and the front office considered other options while negotiating with Philadelphia.
- We learned earlier today that the Bears inquired at Wentz but never made a definitive offer. The same goes for the Patriots. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, New England selected the Eagles over the quarter, but they lost interest when they heard the asking price. As the reporter notes, the Patriots are unlikely to ‘pay too much for a veteran if it does not fit perfectly’, especially at this stage in the off-season.
- How did it come to this point between Wentz and the Arende? Tim McManus, ESPN, writes that Hurts’ drafting may have been the ‘beginning of the end’, but there were many additional factors that came up during the 2020 season. While the Eagles’ losses and injuries continued to increase, (former) head coach was Doug Pederson stripped Wentz of ‘much of his control over the offense’. As a result, Wentz loses confidence in his head coach and the system.
- Wentz not only lost his confidence in Pederson. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Wentz “loses faith in [general manager Howie Roseman‘s] decision making. Wentz has a similar sentiment towards the owner Jeffrey Lurie, who supported his GM and the front office’s decision to select Hurts in the second round.