Should the Eagles Trade Carson Wentz?
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Carson Wentz or Nick Foles? That is the question the Eagles have to answer now that their playoff run is over. Within the vast majority of the sports world though, it’s not even a question. Nobody is expecting the Eagles to go with Foles over Wentz this offseason, and not many people think it is even up for debate. But should it be?
With Nick Foles taking over for an injured Carson Wentz for the second straight year and looking like one of the better quarterbacks in the league while doing so both years, he is seeking to become a starting quarterback in the league…like he should be. He has proved he is not back-up material, leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl last year (and winning the Super Bowl MVP) and leading the Eagles into the playoffs this year and to a near-victory over NFL’s best team in the divisional round. He has continuously proven himself, so he SHOULD be getting big money and a bigger role. The Eagles aren’t going to pay him $20,000,000 to be a back-up quarterback next season, though.
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What about their franchise quarterback? Carson Wentz is coming off his second year in a row in which an injury prevented him from finishing the season. He is capable of big things in his career, and we’ve seen some of those things already. But the fact of the matter is he carries the label of injury-prone until he proves he can stay healthy for a longer period of time. He’s never played in an NFL playoff game, and we all know how those are totally different ballgames. Nick Foles is more proven than Carson Wentz is. He has proven he can lead this team and shine when the spotlight is at its brightest. But the Eagles can’t actually get rid of Wentz though, can they?
My answer to the above question is “why not?” Why should the Eagles be obliged to keep Wentz over Foles heading into next season? Wentz has age in his favor, being only 26 years old to Foles’ 30. But we’ve already established Wentz has red flags by his name when it comes to staying healthy. Can he bounce back and contribute to this team? There’s no doubt he can. Can he bounce back and contribute more to this team than Foles can? I don’t think so. Foles is a great quarterback, he just doesn’t get the recognition for it because he’s been in the back-up role. And being only 30, he’s got plenty of years left in him. The way he has taken the reigns of this team and led them to so much success in the last two years, he has everyone in the organization’s complete confidence. I believe Wentz also has everyone’s confidence, but just not on the same level. Wentz still has to prove he is capable of doing what Foles has already done.
So why get rid of your back-to-back season savior and Super Bowl MVP? It shouldn’t matter that the Eagles drafted Wentz with the plan of having him as the franchise quarterback. Nick Foles has already done what they drafted Wentz to do. Also, imagine what the Eagles would be able to get in return for Carson Wentz. It’s hard to speculate, but trading away a 26 year old quarterback with a ton of potential will yield a very nice return, to add even more talent to an already good team. I fully expect the Eagles to keep Wentz to be their franchise quarterback and let Foles sign a nice contract with another team, but I think if you’re the Eagles, you at least have to have this conversation. It’s interesting to say the least, but keeping Foles instead of Wentz makes a lot of sense.
Garett