The Philadelphia Eagles might not have Carson Wentz back for Week 1 after all.
Wentz suffered a torn ACL near the end of last season, but the third-year quarterback has been adamant about returning by Week 1. Without Wentz, of course, the Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl anyway. They did so in large part thanks to backup quarterback Nick Foles. During the offseason, the Eagles held on to Foles. They decided they weren’t going to trade him for anything less than multiple first-round picks. Fast forward to the present, and he’s still with the team.
That seems to have been the right move. Now ESPN’s Tim McManus is reporting that Wentz might not be ready.
“I think there’s been really no secret that it’s going to be close. Seeing where I’m at in camp and finally, hopefully next week, doing 11-on-11, I think naturally it’s going to be close. Ultimately, it won’t be just my call or the coaches’ call. It will come down to what the doctors say, really.”
Last season, Wentz racked up 3,296 yards with 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. His completion rate (60.2%) leaves plenty to be desired, but after throwing only 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions the year prior, there was little to complain about.
Yet if he doesn’t play for a week (or two), then no big deal. Foles knows the offense, and he’s a Super Bowl MVP now. There are worse options to have if you’re looking for a QB for just one game. In the meantime, the Eagles are coming off a 13-3 regular season campaign. They open the new year at home against the Atlanta Falcons, who they beat to advance to the NFC Championship game. In the postseason, Foles went on to complete 72.6 percent of his passes (77-for-106) while totaling 971 yards and six scores.
Needless to say, the Eagles are in good hands.
