With less than two months to go until the start of the 2016 NFL season, rumors are swirling around the Philadelphia Eagles. After finishing last season with a below-average record of 7-9, the Eagles, once again, failed to qualify for the playoffs. In addition to firing former head coach Chip Kelly, the Eagles also shook things up and traded for the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, where they drafted former North Dakota State Bison quarterback Carson Wentz.
While it was once common for young quarterbacks to sit on the bench and learn in their first season, that trend has been going away in today’s NFL. When a team drafts a quarterback high in the first round, they have recently been the starter on the first game of the season. There is still a chance that Wentz can win the starting job, but it appears as though he is going to begin the season on the inactive list.
Eagles rookie QB Carson Wentz will likely be inactive to start the season: https://t.co/QOf1mku6zr pic.twitter.com/VofrOAu0T9
— NFL (@NFL) July 17, 2016
New Eagles head coach Doug Pederson recently spoke about the quarterback situation, as reported by Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice .
“Typically, the third quarterback is down. It’s hard right now to look down the road, but if we had to play this week, Carson would be down. He’d be the third quarterback. He’d be deactivated. That’s probably the direction we’re heading, I would think is going that route. Obviously barring injury and, as you know, how this game is, but typically the third quarterback, whoever that is, is down on game day.”
While it seems premature to say that Wentz will start the season as the third quarterback, the Eagles are paying Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel a lot of money. Daniel, who was recently the backup quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, does not have much NFL experience, but he does know Pederson’s system. The Eagles would be in trouble if he ever had to step in as the starter for an extended amount of time, but he is viewed as a strong mentor for Wentz.
Bradford, who requested a trade after the Eagles traded for the No. 2 overall pick, is likely the going to be the team’s starting quarterback this season — barring injury or if he is dramatically outplayed by Wentz. While Bradford is a former No. 1 overall pick, his career has been a disappointment. In addition to serious injuries, Bradford’s play has always been below average. Toward the second half of last season, Bradford actually looked better, but he has never proven that he can play at a high level for an entire season.
Regardless, the Eagles want to take things slowly with Wentz. While Wentz has the talent to become an above-average starting quarterback in the NFL, he did not face elite competition in college. His performance in OTAs has showcased his talent, but the organization still feels as though he is not ready.
Pederson has been consistent in his stance that Bradford is the starting quarterback, but defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Frank Reich have made conflicting statements. They felt as though it was too early to name Bradford the starting quarterback, and they wanted to see a real competition in training camp. Ultimately, Pederson is the head coach, and the final decision is going to come down to him.
While the fans would love to see Wentz this year, ProFootballTalk notes that it is not really a surprise that the Eagles are going this route.
“The Eagles held onto Bradford because they didn’t want to rush Wentz into the lineup and they signed Daniel to give themselves an experienced backup option, which makes it little surprise that they’ll go the patient route with a player who they hope is a fixture in Philly for years to come.”
With training camp set to begin in a little over a week, rumors will continue to heat up regarding the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback situation. Sam Bradford is currently No. 1 on the depth chart, but elite play by Wentz in training camp and the preseason could make things very interesting.
[Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images]
