Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Wentz out with fractured back
PHILADELPHIA >> Carson Wentz’s back injury could have been a lot worse for the Eagles, who mortgaged a chunk of their future to draft him.
The back should be able to heal completely from a hairline fracture of the vertebrae in a month or two without the need for surgery, assuming no other damage is found by doctors, NFL sources said.
That said, it’s highly unlikely the Eagles would clear Wentz to play Sunday night when they oppose the Los Angeles Rams at the L.A. Coliseum.
If you felt Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles was better equipped to beat the Rams and keep the Eagles in the hunt for a playoff spot, you’re going to get your chance to rant about it.
And while it’s conceivable the Eagles delay putting Wentz on injured reserve, it could be a moot point if the Birds (6-7) fail to defeat the Rams (11-2), who are favored by 111/2 points.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson will address the matter at his Friday morning news conference.
Wentz hasn’t practiced all week for the Eagles or been available for interviews. The Eagles believe the fracture occurred in the overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys and is unrelated to the tightness that bothered Wentz enough to land him on the injury report before the bye, according to NFL sources.
Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews, a pretty good friend of Wentz’s, recalled playing with a slipped disk in his back.
“It’s not pleasant,” Matthews said. “I had back spasms. It’s excruciating (pain). I think anything from the core level that you deal with is.”
Matthews and other Eagles were careful not to speak for Wentz, who underwent an MRI Thursday, per ESPN, and CT scans earlier in the season, according to the NFL Network.
The Eagles declined comment pending Pederson’s presser.
Whatever the timing of the injury, at some point the pain catches up to players. Wentz already was slowed by a brace on his left knee, one used to protect the reconstructed ACL and LCL ligaments.
“If I cracked your back and told you to play a sport it would affect you,” Matthews said. “He’s one of the toughest dudes I know but of course it’s going to affect you somewhat. Especially at quarterback. He touches the ball every single play. He rotates every single play. In Dallas he was balling. He literally kept us in the game and if we would have got the ball back for another drive, I know for a fact he would have led us to a win. So obviously he played at a high level.”
Eagles receiver Nelson Agholor, who hauled in a 42-yard laser from Wentz to set up third Eagles touchdown in the loss to Dallas, called his teammate “A guy that won’t be denied at the end of the day.
“Because no matter how he feels, whether it’s serious, not serious, at the end of the day at the quarterback position, you take a lot of hits,” Agholor said. “You get banged up. And just to see him always get back up and just keep on playing the next play, it’s definitely something I have a lot of respect for.”
The Eagles have a 14-to18 percent chance of getting into the playoffs, depending on the popular probability models out there. The Rams are in but are battling the New Orleans Saints (112) for the No. 1 seed, and home field throughout the postseason.
“There’s still a lot of energy at practice,” Matthews said. “Everybody is still flying around. Everybody is well aware that if we handle what we have to handle, and the chips fall in a certain way that we can definitely get a chance to be in the tournament.”
Agholor, who played at the Coliseum for Southern California, indicated the Eagles are locked in.
“We have an opportunity on Sunday in LA to do something special,” Agholor said. “We have a lot of respect for the Rams. But we know that an opportunity like this to continue to keep us alive, to keep our dreams alive, is in front of us.”
••• In addition to Wentz, sitting out practice Thursday were Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett (foot), linebacker Jordan Hicks (calf), defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan (back), cornerback Sidney Jones (hamstring), offensive tackle Jordan Mailata (back) and guard Isaac Seumalo (pectoral).
Limited in practice were wide receiver Shelton Gibson (wrist) and defensive back Avonte Maddox (ankle, knee).
••• Golden Tate leads the NFC with seven dropped passes, most of it with the Lions. That’s also tied for second in the league behind running back T.J. Yeldon (eight) of Jacksonville. The Eagles’ Zach Ertz is tied for fourth with four drops. Running back Todd Gurley tops the Rams with three dropped passes … The referee Sunday night is Bill Vinovich. It’s probably a good thing Wentz won’t suit up because Vinovich is a bit old school when it comes to roughing the quarterback … The Eagles don’t want overtime Sunday night. They’re 0-2 in that category this season, giving up opening drive TDs to both the Titans and the Cowboys. The Eagles are 4-12-1 in overtime since the 1998 season, the worst record of any team in the league in that span per Stats LLC.