The Philadelphia came into the season hoping head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Carson Wentz would lead this team to the playoffs. Coming off three consecutive disappointments, with Wentz playing worse than ever before, could the Eagles consider benching their franchise quarterback?
On Monday, following the team’s tie with the Cincinnati Bengals, Pederson responded to questions about the possibility of benching Wentz.
Will the Eagles bench Carson Wentz?
Facing one of the NFL’s worst defenses, Wentz had another ugly performance. After completing just 29-of-47 attempts with two interceptions and a 49.1 QBR, many in Philadelphia started calling for Jalen Hurts.
While the Eagles have made their 2020 second-round pick the No. 2 quarterback, it seems Pederson isn’t remotely close to losing confidence in Wentz.
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It’s unsurprising to see Pederson commit to Wentz, especially in such strong fashion. We’re just over a year removed from Philadelphia signing Wentz to a four-year, $128 million extension. He lived up to the deal in 2019, throwing for 4,039 yards with a 27/7 TD/INT ratio.
The same can’t be said for this season. It’s one thing to have a bad game, but Wentz is playing like a below-average quarterback who an organization should actively look to replace.
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After throwing just seven interceptions last season, Wentz is on the verge of passing that mark by Week 4. He has now thrown two interceptions in every game this season and the issues are getting worse.
In Philadelphia’s season-opening loss to the Washington Football Team, Wentz threw two touchdowns and averaged 6.4 yards per attempt, with a 72.5 quarterback rating. It was still an ugly performance, especially since he was sacked eight times.
Wentz’s struggles continued in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams. While he completed more passes (60.5%), he didn’t throw a touchdown and his ypa fell to 5.6. Meanwhile, the Eagles’ offense failed to crack the 20-point threshold.
NFL stats: Carson Wentz among worst performers in Week 3
Finally, we arrive at Sunday’s performance. Wentz was successful on the ground, rushing for 65 yards and a score. It’s about the only positive contribution he made to the team. Philadelphia’s franchise quarterback needed 47 attempts to reach 225 passing yards, leading to a horrific 4.8 yards per attempt. On top of that, along with his 62.8 quarterback rating, Wentz added to his turnover total with a league-high six interceptions through three weeks.
At some point, something needs to change. While the offensive line is depleted by injuries and the receiving corps is hurting, Wentz simply isn’t playing like a starting-caliber quarterback. Hurts was drafted to be a developmental project, but the Eagles might need to consider a change if Wentz can’t turn things around by November.