The Eagles now have clarity in a decision that looked impossible to make just a few weeks ago.
Sunday’s double-whammy shouldn’t go unnoticed inside and outside of the Eagles locker room. It certainly can’t with fans. I doubt it will be around the NFL. When a tough decision needs to be made, we all look for pivot points. Week 15 brought two for the Eagles franchise in the span of about 12 hours.
-A report suggesting former franchise quarterback and once-unquestioned starter Carson Wentz doesn’t want to be an Eagle in 2021, if he’s not the starter.
-Jalen Hurts putting up historic numbers for a rookie quarterback in his second game, and nearly willing the Eagles to a season-changing comeback and upset vs. the Cardinals.
One guy doesn’t want to fight. All the other guy does is fight.
Let’s start with Wentz.
The former NFL MVP candidate has every right to request a trade, ask out or want a fresh start. He won’t be the first star athlete to do it, and he certainly won’t be the last. I’d imagine an army of fans will take his side in what could be an ugly divorce from the franchise he was once destined to lead for a decade-plus.
But let’s not sugarcoat what this all means: Wentz doesn’t want to fight for his job back. He’d rather start fresh than re-establish himself in Philadelphia. It’s become more than fair to question Wentz’s mental toughness after talk about the Hurts draft pick bothering him and potentially contributing to all-time bad performance this season.
Instead of hearing about how this offseason will be about hard work and dedication to justifying the most guaranteed money in NFL history (which Wentz’s deal from the Eagles was at the time of signing), we’ve heard that Wentz feels “betrayed” and is “not interested” in being a backup.
Not every player is strong enough to win back a locker room or fan base. It’s not an indictment, but a reality of the sport. If Wentz, who would unquestionably have to win a training camp battle for the job, isn’t interested in being part of the Eagles unless he’s the unquestioned starter, Philadelpia isn’t the team for him any longer.
Then there’s Hurts, the rookie that does nothing but compete.
It’s impossible for me not to juxtaposition Hurts’ story (being replaced by Tua Tagovailoa in the middle of the National Championship Game), staying on as a backup for a year and coming back into help another championship before transferring to Oklahoma, a place he wasn’t guaranteed the starting job upon arrival. All Hurts has done in his football life is compete to play.
And then there’s the on-field competitiveness.
There’s a ton to be impressed about through Hurts’ first two starts. We’re talking about eye-opening numbers, both through the air and on the ground. Points are piling up. The offense is alive again. But the most impressive play Hurts has made through two weeks might be lost in our memory of a team that’s currently 4-9-1 and on the outside of the playoff picture.
Go back and rewatch Philadelphia’s 1st and 10 from their own 37-yard-line with 35 seconds to go in the shootout vs. Arizona. It’s do-or-die time. There’s no margin for error. Hurts is in the shotgun, and the Eagles have no timeouts left. A sack or negative play would basically end any hope. Right tackle Matt Pryor is beaten badly, causing a rush around the end toward Hurts as soon as he drops back. The rusher swats the ball out from Hurts’ hands as he tries to move away from pressure. Fumble.
It’s one thing to be poised when down (like Hurts was when the scoreboard read 16-0 early on) or in the huddle. It’s another do it when a play looks like it’s about to crumble in a big spot. Hurts, as he’s being chased by two more defenders, picked up the fumble on the run, composed himself and threw a strike down the field to Dallas Goedert to keep hope alive.
When the offseason arrives, the Eagles likely don’t need intangibles to make a cold, calculated decision. Hurts is the better quarterback right now, and it’s not even close. Hurts is the cheaper player now, and will be for years. That alone can and should guide how this franchise operates, and it would with any decision and move in a salary cap league. Younger and cheaper beats older and expensive.
But if the Eagles were looking for a push or reason to not let common sense be altered by previous decisions, Week 15 provided it.
Wentz reportedly doesn’t want to compete. Hurts is here (which nearly included one of the best comebacks in Eagles history) because he won’t stop competing. In a league where the difference between winning and losing is razor thin, attitude and drive often are the difference between winners and losers.
So, no, two games of Hurts shouldn’t be enough of a sample to make a franchise-changing decision. But every little thing should, including a Sunday that may have told the tale of two quarterbacks and helped make the Eagles decision easier than you think.
The Link LonkDecember 21, 2020 at 08:09PM
https://www.radio.com/94wip/sports/eagles/hurt-or-wentz-is-now-an-easy-decision-for-eagles
Hurt or Wentz is now an easy decision for Eagles - RADIO.COM
https://news.google.com/search?q=easy&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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