Eagles need a healthy and wiser Wentz
Nick Foles is a husband, a father and at age 29, mature beyond his years. He’s been to the mountain top. He also knows what it’s like to feel unwanted.
Is it too much to hope that those life and professional experiences influenced Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz as he watched from afar?
The Eagles need Wentz to come back as the guy with the attitude and the can’t-miss skills set they moved up the draft board to select.
Right now, they have a version of the guy Wentz replaced. Sam Bradford had great arm talent and was a solid decision maker. He was always rehabbing, though, just couldn’t stay healthy.
This isn’t a great time to be Wentz, and not just because of his back injury. That’s the least of his challenges right now.
The Eagles are certain the hairline fracture will heal with rest. If it doesn’t, or if Wentz aggravates it, he could end up having spinal fusion surgery. Just for the sake of example, think Tony Romo, and the constant fractures he rehabbed or tried to play through.
When the Eagles formally move on from Foles, and it’s going to happen in the coming months, if not sooner, it won’t be as if Wentz is succeeding Bradford, a great passer who never seemed to feel appreciated by Eagles fans and at least a few of his teammates.
Foles is a legend, and Wentz must deal with that.
“I do everything I can to block that stuff out,” Wentz said at an availability Monday. “I think right now, going forward, my focus is getting my body right and to play this game freely the way I did last year before the injury and cut it loose. Get rid of all that pressure and anxiety and whatever it may be, just play the game freely. And that’s where I’m going to get to.”
Wentz really doesn’t want to exit as Bradford did, although that twoyear, $35 million contract they gave him can buy a lot of things to ease the ache.
It was a relief when the Eagles shipped Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings for a first-round pick just before the 2016 season. Bradford had been a pampered first overall pick of the St. Louis Rams, who didn’t collect enough talent to win until he left.
When the Chip Kellyled Eagles sent Foles and a second-round pick to the Rams for Bradford, there were moments it looked like a coup for the Birds. Only moments, though. Does anybody remember Bradford’s shining moment with the Eagles? Was it walking out in a huff when the Eagles announced they’d traded up to draft either Jared Goff or Wentz, whoever the Los Angeles Rams didn’t select?
Wentz at least solidified his own Eagles legend in throwing his club-record 33rd TD pass on one good leg in the win over the Los Angeles Rams last year. He spent the offseason rehabbing the knee that burst a few plays before the throw.
Foles was on the banquet circuit this past offseason, having led the club to its first Super Bowl title. Foles put such a hurting on Tom Brady in the title game, he exposed the GOAT for what he is – not man enough to shake hands after losing.
Foles clearly appealed more to veteran players such as center Jason Kelce and Chris Long, the latter of whom, the team’s backs to the wall, constructed a shrine to the veteran to promote good mojo. Kelce enjoyed just taking the field with Foles.
“Nick’s a guy that I’ve been fortunate enough to play with for a number of years with the Philadelphia Eagles,” Kelce said. “Been in some really big games. That’s one of the guys you always remember. I wanted to make sure he knew that. And I think he did.”
Foles’ cleats are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the request made after he tied the single-game NFL record with seven touchdown passes. It happened before Wentz nailed down the starting job at North Dakota State.
There’s only one bigger-than-life public sculpture featuring an active Eagles player. PhillyPhilly, with Foles and head coach Doug Pederson, is in Headhouse Plaza outside Lincoln Financial Field.
All Wentz has to do to reestablish himself is to win … now. He was 5-6 this past season, including just 1-5 against teams with winning records.
Anything short of the playoffs and two playoff victories next season will be a disappointment. It would trigger laments of how the Eagles would have been better off keeping Foles.
There’s going to be an adjustment period for Wentz the next time he goes three-and-out or is sacked because he held the ball too long. Foles never did that, you know.
If the Eagles don’t win a Super Bowl at some point on Wentz’s watch, he’ll be accused of under-performing. When Wentz is healthy, he’s borderline lethal, spitting the ball out and creating plays that other quarterbacks cannot see.
When he’s not, he’s going to get killed for not protecting himself enough to stay in the lineup like Foles has.
To do any of that, Wentz has to get healthy and stay healthy.
“I first and foremost am looking forward to hopefully putting that to rest over the next couple of years,” Wentz said. “I know I will be fine. I know once I get healed and I do this the right way, longterm this should be fine. That’s the positive.”