Wentz has long-been praised for being mature beyond his years, but after a debatably slanderous article where he was labeled as selfish amongst various other criticisms, this offseason carries even more weight. There’s no veteran QB2 to carry the clipboard. There’s no older presence to lead the developmental quarterbacks on the depth chart. That responsibility now lands with Wentz, as it should. But it’s fell on his shoulders at such a crucial time.
Not only is Wentz now the cemented heart and soul of the team, but the Eagles have retained Nate Sudfeld, their presumed QB2 (barring an upset), who has appeared in 3 regular season games, two of which being week 17 contests. Sudfeld has been around the team and coaching staff long enough to have earned the role as Wentz’s backup, and his presence poses no immediate threat, unlike the effect Foles may have inadvertently had. But if Wentz were to go down in week 13, could Sudfeld be relied on to carry the team home? That is one of the offseason’s biggest questions…and it’s one where the answer involves Wentz being a leader to prepare Nate for that moment, should it ever arise.
The team also drafted Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson in the fifth-round. He has the size and athletic traits that Pederson covets in his quarterbacks at 6’4, 222 lbs, but he doesn’t yet have the accuracy. He averaged 6.8 yards per pass and has thrown 27 picks in his last 27 games. But the Eagles are willing to look past that to nurture a natural talent.
“My first opportunity to see him was at the Combine this year and had a chance to sit down with him and talk with him. He came off, was very impressive, No. 1, Northwestern kid. What I like about him, obviously, three out of the last four years, he’s taken his team to a Bowl and he’s won those games and he’s got all the passing records there at Northwestern.
This kid’s tough and he fits exactly what we look for in a quarterback. Arm strength, decision-making, the ability to extend plays and he’s going to fit really well with that room and with [QB] Carson [Wentz] and [QB] Nate [Sudfeld]. It’s going to be a really fun spring and summer and leading up into training camp, to see all those guys really how they come together in that room and gel and it’s a good opportunity for him.”
– Doug Pederson on Clayton Thorson
Thorson’s raw skillset may have provoked the Eagles to sign Cody Kessler. A former third-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, Kessler has played in 17 games in his three-year career, starting 12 (winning 2 games). Completing 64% of his passes, passing for 8 touchdowns and 5 picks, Kessler has become somewhat of a game manager, which is what maybe led him to Jacksonville to begin with. But while his presence will undoubtedly take some of the load from the shoulders of Carson Wentz, Kessler will ultimately be trying to unseat Nate Sudfeld, however unrealistic that may seem…as if he is unable to steal the spotlight from a backup QB, his career ceiling drops massively.
What’s also worth noting is that the Eagles of course lost John DeFilippo after 2017. The quarterback coach who worked wonders and was always seen as a future offensive coordinator was replaced by Press Taylor, who appears to have continued on the strong train of development left in ‘Flip’s’ wake, but now without a veteran onside to help carry that culture, again, it all falls onto the shoulders of Wentz.
If there was ever a time for Carson Wentz to prove the critics wrong, and I’m not talking those who doubt his play, it’s now. The character deformation, the humble response, it all points toward this offseason. One where Wentz is the unquestioned leader and will be expected to not only return to his rightful place as the starting quarterback, but help develop those beneath him as he once did at North Dakota State.
It’s the first time Wentz has been in this situation since he played for the Bison, and now the stakes are that much higher. If there is any weight to the concerns of his maturation and selfishness, it’s now that the NDSU product has to rise up and take that next step. With a large contract reportedly looming and his leadership never questioned, it’s no longer just the fate of Carson Wentz that falls onto his shoulders, it’s the fate of the entire quarterback position.
