Carson Wentz Unhappy? Of Course he is, but what can be Done About it?

Here's a closer look at the situation and how it could potentially play out with the backup Eagles quarterback

Carson Wentz is not happy being a backup quarterback.

Not exactly a news flash, but that was the headline splashed across the Twitter-verse just hours before Jalen Hurts was set to make his second straight start, this one against the Cardinals in Arizona Sunday afternoon.

Of course, Wentz isn’t happy with how things have transpired for him this season. He’s an alpha personality and won’t stand for watching, especially since he believes he is being the fall-guy for a plethora of problems that have plagued the Eagles in this 4-8-1 season.

Doug Pederson addressed the situation after the Eagles' 33-26 loss to the Cardinals.

“I’ll tell you this, Carson has done everything we’ve asked him to," said the head coach. "He’s a pro,” Pederson said. “He’s engaging. He’s helping Jalen, and so he’s doing everything we’re asking him to do right now.
"I get it and understand that it’s a frustrating situation probably for him, but at the same time, I also see him helping Jalen and helping our offense. And that’s what he’s doing during these games. I don’t know much about the other stuff.”

That may be so, but that doesn’t mean he is happy about it.

Really, though, Wentz, who turns 28 on Dec. 30, has no choice but to do what he’s told.

He has very little leverage in this situation.

He can request a trade and try to force his way out. That doesn’t seem like something he would do publicly. Even if he does step out of character and demands a trade, the Eagles don’t have to accommodate him.

The Eagles are in a wait-and-see mode on many things. Not only with Wentz, but also what to do with head coach Doug Pederson.

The fate of both coach and quarterback will depend on how the remainder of the season plays out.

How Jalen Hurts looks from here until the regular-season finale on Jan. 3 and how the team plays will go a long way to deterring the fate of both Pederson and Wentz.

It is doubtful that, if Hurts looks like he could be the QB in 2021, the Eagles wouldn’t go into the spring saying there will be a quarterback competition and may the best player win.

That would be a most unwelcome can of worms.

It would be much more difficult from a financial standpoint to move on from Wentz than Pederson.

So much has already been made about the quarterback’s “untradeable” contract. And that is true to a point.

Wentz has four years left on a $100 million deal, but it’s really just two years for $47M, per Spotrac. If the Eagles end up paying the $10M roster bonus in March then trade him after June 1, then two years, $37M ($30M guaranteed) would be absorbed by the new team. Therefore, Spotrac said, it is a “tradable” contract.

The most obvious landing spot for Wentz, should all the right dominoes fall into place, is the Indianapolis Colts and their head coach Frank Reich. The two of them were together during Wentz’s MVP-caliber season in 2017 – before injuries began to take a toll on Wentz.

If Reich went to GM Chris Ballard and said, ‘I want Wentz,’ Ballard would not hesitate to try to bring the QB to Indy. He may even give up a No. draft pick to make it happen.

Ballard paid Philip Rivers $25M on a one-year deal last year. Wentz’s $37M deal over two years would be a bargain.

Other suitors could include the New England Patriots, who found out that Cam Newton is not the answer and Jared Stidham may never be, and the New York Jets, depending on whether or not they would want to go all-in on Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence if Lawrence chooses to enter the draft.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and even Chicago Bears could be in play, too.

Then there’s the Washington Football Team.

Would the Eagles dare trade Wentz to an NFC East rival? They did trade Donovan McNabb on Easter Sunday, 2010, so there is precedent.

The Eagles got a second-round pick and a later-round pick for McNabb, who was 33 at the time.

For now, though, Wentz is going to have to keep his unhappiness in check and see how the rest of the season plays out.

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