ClutchPoints
When the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round mere weeks after handing Carson Wentz a nine-figure contract, it turned heads around the NFL world.
Why, fans, pundits, and expects alike wondered, did Howie Roseman draft a very decorated quarterback in the second round when he already had a second-overall pick under contract? To serve as a backup for Wentz long-term? Or did he simply view Hurts as a Day 2 differencemaker like Russell Wilson in 2012? Did the Eagles somehow have second thoughts about Wentz a month into his extension? Or was this simply BPA?
Well, while it’s hard to say what exactly happened, the results couldn’t be any clearer: Hurts replaced Wentz at the end of his rookie season, Wentz was traded to the Colts, and the Eagles are in their second Super Bowl in three years with QB1 as their signal caller.
Asked about his initial reaction to seeing Hurts on the practice field all those years ago during the Super Bowl Opening Ceremony by Eliot Shorr-Park, Wentz broke down his former backup’s initial run in Philadelphia.
“Yeah, no, I thought, you know, the moment he got there looked good, honestly. I thought he threw the ball well, and he just kind of put his nose down and went to work. It was also the COVID year, so building relationships with guys was extremely tough, you know, all rookies in general, so all of that was just kind of weird and awkward from the start,” Wentz explained.”But I do think from the start you could tell he had good competitiveness; he could throw the ball pretty well, and everybody knew he was an athlete coming in, so I think all of those things… you never know how it will pan out, but I think I was impressed when we started.”
Wentz was also asked about his relationship with Nick Foles, which many fans assumed was strained for one reason or another. While that may be the case, Wentz was still willing to say something nice about his former teammate as the 2028 ten-year reunion rapidly approaches.
“Yeah, I still talk to Nick. Nick’s great; I love Nick. We still reach out to each other the last couple of years. One of the better teammates I’ve ever had, without a doubt,” Wentz noted. “The way that all unfolded that year is still pretty magical for him, and still a great friendship.”
With Wentz now backing up Patrick Mahomes as the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to take on his former team in the Super Bowl, it’s hard to feel too bad about how his career has turned out post-Washington. Still, considering how things started out a decade ago when Wentz went off the board at pick two in the 2016 NFL Draft, it’s hard to see his legacy in the City of Brotherly Love as anything other than tarnished.
Carson Wentz says he remembers Philly fondly but does wish it ended differently
Says he...
