Wentz expecting to play Week 1
PHILADELPHIA — Carson Wentz said Tuesday he still expects to be ready to play when the Philadelphia Eagles open next season on Sept. 6.
The Eagles quarterback, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in December, said in late January that his goal was to be ready for the opener. Almost three months later, nothing has changed.
“Yeah, that’s still the goal,” Wentz said at the NovaCare Complex.
Wentz, who tore the anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments in his left knee on Dec. 10, is still months away from being 100 percent healthy, though. He declined to go into detail about the progress he’s made, but Wentz said he has started running.
“We’ve started the running progression and all those things,” Wentz said. “I’m feeling good. I’m feeling good with where I’m at. Just trying to stay the course. But, like I said late last season, it’s such a fluid process. It’s so hard to put a timeframe and a timetable on these things. I wish I knew, as well.”
The Eagles opened their voluntary offseason workout program Monday. They’re still weeks from actual practice, but when the players finally hit the field, it will be backup Nick Foles at quarterback with the first-team offense. The same could hold throughout the summer during training camp and the preseason, as well.
Wentz was asked if he needed to play in the preseason to be ready for Week 1. “I don’t think so,” he said. Eagles Coach Doug Pederson said last month at the NFL owners meetings that he was cognizant of Wentz being too aggressive in his return.
“You’ve seen the horror stories of people coming back too soon and those things,” Wentz said. “I can assure you I’ll be smart.”
The third-year quarterback spoke about the challenges of watching his backup and teammates win the Super Bowl without him last season. Wentz similarly touched on the subject the week before the title game, but winning the Super Bowl placed those feelings in another context.
“It was definitely a challenge,” Wentz said. “It was a challenge just knowing where we were at in the season and then going down. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about humility, and just trusting the Lord in the process.”
He admitted to having to fight feelings of jealousy toward Foles.
“It’s human nature to want to be on that podium, to be that guy. You grow up wanting to do that as a kid,” Wentz said. “But to not be able to be up there — I wouldn’t rather have anybody else be up there but Nick.”
Foles recently said during a radio interview in Texas that he wanted to get another opportunity to start, but that he was also comfortable returning to Philadelphia as Wentz’s backup. The Eagles have explored the idea of trading him this offseason, but the offers haven’t yet matched their demands. The Eagles might need Foles in case Wentz isn’t ready.
Wentz said his relationship with Foles remains as strong as ever.
“I think him and I — I know it’s been well-documented — but we’ve been so close ever since he first got here,” Wentz said. “Just developed a real friendship, real relationship, more than just a working relationship. … To go through that experience last year was pretty cool.”
Wentz was asked again about the possibility that he might have to alter his aggressive style of playing quarterback. He didn’t seem concerned about being less mobile.
“I’m not going to change,” Wentz said. “I think I’m always going to learn. I know even from first year to second year, I thought I learned quite a bit on how to protect myself, and then going back and watching again, there’s things to just keep learning from.”