NFL Rumors: Eagles Still Believe in Carson Wentz Despite Benching
While Eagles rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts will make his first-career NFL start on Sunday, team sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the franchise still intends on keeping Carson Wentz and having him be part of the franchise going forward.
According to ESPN, despite Wentz's struggles this season, the Eagles still believe Wentz can return to being a franchise quarterback in the future. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, there are many strong voices within the organization who believe in Wentz. However, Rapoport acknowledges that a series of good starts by Hurts could make Wentz's future with the Eagles more complicated.
Wentz is currently in the midst of the worst season of his career. He leads the NFL in interceptions (15) and sacks taken (50) and is 31st in completion percentage (58.1%).
The former No. 2 pick in the 2016 NFL draft has four years and $98.4 million remaining on his contract.
The 22-year-old Hurts relieved Wentz in the third quarter of Philadelphia's eventual 30-16 loss to the Packers last week. He finished the game with 142 yards passing, one touchdown and one interception.
The Eagles enter Week 14 at 3-8-1, trailing both the Washington Football Team and New York Giants in the division race. Kickoff for Sunday's Eagles-Saints game is set for 4:25 p.m. ET.
Check out the latest news and notes from around the NFL:
- Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey wants to return to action this season. (Adam Schefter, ESPN)
- The NFL nixed a plan between Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians and quarterback Tom Brady to play golf together during the team's bye week. (Ian Rapoport, NFL Network)
- There is still no clear timeline about when Drew Brees might return to play. (Adam Schefter, ESPN)
- The Panthers are expected to hand out fines of at least $10,000 to players who broke COVID-19 protocols during the bye week. (Jeremy Fowler, ESPN)
- All Week 14 NFL games were cleared to take place on Sunday. (Tom Pelissero, NFL Network)
