Everything Hurts in Philadelphia

The Eagles matchup with the Giants on Sunday could be a last stand for Carson Wentz with rookie Jalen Hurts looking to take his spot

by Brendan Smith, Sports O’Clock Writing Team Member

Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks Carson Wentz (left) and Jalen Hurts (right) (photo credits: 247 Sports)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz was supposed to be “the guy” when he was handed a 4-year, $128 million contract prior to the start of the 2019-20 NFL season. However, the Eagles went ahead and drafted former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts with their second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft as an insurance policy for Wentz, who has suffered various injuries in his career so far.

It may be time for Eagles head coach Doug Pederson to turn to Hurts sooner than expected. Wentz has struggled mightily this season, and the Eagles barely sit on top of a weak NFC East division with a 3-4-1 record. Through those eight games, Wentz has completed under just over 58 percent of his passes – second worst in the NFL – while throwing 12 interceptions to match his 12 touchdown passes. His 12 interceptions are the most in the league.

One could argue that Wentz’s poor play is due to the slew of injuries on the Eagles offensive line. Wentz has been sacked 32 times this season – the most in the league – and has not been given adequate time to stand in the pocket and deliver accurate throws. That is not a good excuse for someone of Wentz’s talent. Wentz put up MVP stats last season while playing within an injury-ravaged Eagles offense, which means he has clearly regressed this season.

This is the perfect time for the Eagles to give Hurts a chance to run the offense. The Eagles have a lead in the division, and it does not appear likely that the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, or Washington Football Team will catch them. That is a perfect scenario to place a rookie QB in.

More importantly, letting Hurts start would give the Eagles a good look at the rest of their quarterback room and allow them to determine whether or not the position needs to be addressed through the draft or free agency in the offseason. Hurts has only been featured in a handful of offensive plays so far this season, so the Eagles will need to see a bigger sample-size from Hurts to figure out whether or not he is good enough to play in the NFL.

If the Eagles do in fact make the switch to Hurts, they will be in a tough situation with Wentz. If the Eagles choose to get rid of Wenz in the offseason, his cap hit of $34 million in 2021 could result in significant dead money against the salary cap. A trade could be more beneficial to the Eagles, but they could struggle to find suitors for a quarterback who is inconsistent and injury prone.

Luckily for Eagles fans, former Eagles quarterback and Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles is struggling with the Chicago Bears this season. If Foles happened to be playing well, Wentz would be facing even more pressure from the Eagles faithful; many Eagles fans wanted the team to keep Foles over Wentz when Foles was not given a new contract in 2019. While he is not a Super Bowl MVP, Hurts is now the next best option for the Eagles. If Wentz struggles against the Giants, do not be surprised to see Hurts get his chance to fly.

(Statistics taken from Pro-Football-Reference.com)

(All photos are cited properly. No copyright infringement intended.)