No one could’ve predicted that after the Eagles signed Carson Wentz to a lucrative extension that the team would be looking for a way out shortly after. With 2021 looking to carry a terrifying cap situation, it just never seemed possible. The team was coming off a season where their franchise QB carried the team to the division title and a playoff berth with players that had no business of being on the same football field as him. But here we are.
Carson Wentz has the make-up of a potentially great QB who ends up in the hall of fame with multiple Super Bowl wins under his belt but still, the Eagles were not sold on him. Even after committing all of that guaranteed money to a 27-year-old QB who hadn’t yet reached his prime. It was evident in the 2020 NFL draft that the Eagles had a plan all along that would cost them everything. The organization drafted QB Jalen Hurts out of the University of Oklahoma in the second round instead of using that pick to help cover actual needs.
The Eagles are now at a crossroads when it comes to the brand of football that they want to play. On one hand
The likelihood of both Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts remaining in Philadelphia is minimal. While a two QB system can be interesting, it just can’t work in the NFL. There are too many factors at work that never favor either QB. The rapport with the receivers, specific game-planing, and so much more. The Eagles have ultimately tried and failed to make that work this year.
The Eagles have a decision to make in which route this team needs to travel. If they truly feel coaching and scheme is an issue then there’s a strong chance that head coach, Doug Pederson is fired and the team actually looks to rebuild Wentz from the ground up and give him what he needs.
The second option is simple but gutsy. You choose to eat the dead cap money and move on from the QB that stole the hearts of so many loyal Eagles fans in his time here. Wentz is only 27 and has so much football ahead of him. His ceiling is still amongst the top QBs in the NFL today and such a move could really haunt this team.
Now if the Eagles do that, then they’re committing to Hurts long term but something more appealing could transpire. That Super Bowl window that Howie Roseman adores is back to being wide open for the next several years with a potential franchise QB on the books for practically nothing. Roseman would have to truly self reflect and understand how he failed Wentz in order to understand how to help Hurts.
In sticking with Hurts, a bigger decision follows. What happens to Doug Pederson? In the two weeks that Hurts has started, we have seen the same terrible game-planning that led to the demise of Carson Wentz. The only difference is that Hurts has been able to escape with poise while Wentz grew insecure of the protection and chaos around him.
The Eagles need to make this a smooth transition whichever way they decide to go and it has to be a clear direction. There’s no room for mind games from Howie Roseman or Jeffery Lurie. Hurts can be an incredible piece to build on due to the intangibles that he possesses and his clear ability to carry a team. While he isn’t the most accurate QB, he’s shown that his quick decisions and trust in the weapons around him can really help his cause more than it can hurt.
The Eagles’ current issues stem from the top of the organization, not just the QB. All of that will be fixed much quicker if they commit to Jalen Hurts but the greater payoff could come if they can find a way to build around Wentz and not treat him like the scapegoat that he’s been declared as.
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