Carson Wentz came into the 2020 NFL season confident he was the Philadelphia Eagles’ franchise quarterback. As a disastrous year comes to a close, with the highly-paid passer now riding the bench, Wentz could be looking for a way out in 2021.
Just two weeks after the Eagles pulled Wentz and turned the offense over to rookie Jalen Hurts, the team’s highest-paid player is now disgruntled. With Hurts performing well, earning another shot after an impressive first NFL start, a quarterback change could be looming in Philadelphia.
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As the Philadelphia Eagles continued sliding in the NFL standings, head coach Doug Pederson kept sticking by his veteran quarterback. Despite Wentz leading the NFL in turnovers and sacks, the team’s coach and play-caller rode with Wentz.
That all changed in Week 13, when Pederson finally pulled the plug and made a change. Hurts came in and impressed, showing more than enough to warrant a start in Week 14. While everyone expected the Eagles to get crushed by the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia’s rookie quarterback pushed them to an upset victory.
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Hurts will start in Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals and will likely retain the gig for the remainder of the season. The Eagles are using their final stretch of games as an opportunity to evaluate their rookie to determine if he can be the quarterback of the future.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wentz is not taking the benching well. If the Eagles ultimately decide to make Hurts their quarterback in 2021, Wentz will want out of Philadelphia.
Since Hurts took over, there has been rampant speculation that the Eagles would want to explore moving on from Wentz. In all of that consideration, though, the discussions never examined whether the other side would be the one who wants to end the relationship.
The Eagles signed Wentz to a $128 million extension in 2019, confident that their franchise quarterback would return to the MVP-caliber form they saw in 2017. While he didn’t reach those heights in 2019, the organization was still pleased with his 27/7 TD/INT ratio and 4,039 passing yards, given his lack of a supporting cast.
Unfortunately, things spiraled this season. Wentz leads the NFL in interceptions (15) and sacks (50), despite only playing in 12 games. Meanwhile, the team went 3-8-1 with Wentz as the starter.
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If Hurts proves himself over the final three games, the Eagles could easily grant Wentz’s request. Multiple teams, including the San Francisco 49ers, have been floated as potential landing spots. If there’s an opportunity to unload Wentz’s contract and to gain draft capital, the Eagles would gladly take it.