The Philadelphia Eagles can’t possibly have a quarterback controversy on their hands. But coach Doug Pederson is staying mum on whether Carson Wentz is the starter moving forward.
As Nick Foles and the Eagles won Super Bowl LII in triumphant fashion over the New England Patriots Sunday night, franchise quarterback Carson Wentz could only watch from the sideline.
Eight weeks removed from the torn ACL and LCL that ended his 2017 season, Wentz, who was an MVP candidate before his untimely injury, was a constant source of leadership and support for his team as it improbably cleared hurdle after hurdle en route to the first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
But in his Monday morning press conference, Pederson wasn’t willing to talk about the Eagles’ quarterback situation moving forward.
“I knew I couldn’t get off the stage without that question,” Pederson said. “You know what? We’re just going to enjoy this moment. I’m going to tell you right now: We’re going to enjoy it. We’re going get on this plane and go back to Philadelphia, and we’re going to celebrate with our fans back in Philly.
“I’m happy for Nick. I’m happy for the team. It’s not about one guy. It’s about the team. We’re going to enjoy these next few days,” Pederson concluded.
Doug Pederson isn’t thinking about any quarterback competition right now between Carson Wentz and Nick Foles.
— Kristen Rodgers (@KristenERodgers) February 5, 2018
There will be time for that. He just wants to stay in the moment. @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/aeb16LbJ8Y
Pederson had said earlier in his presser that he had the chance to talk with Wentz on the field after the game, and assured his franchise quarterback that the Eagles hoped to do it all again with him at the helm:
“I told him, ‘You’re a big, big part of why this team won this championship and won this game,'” Pederson said. “I told him that hopefully we’ll be back in this game with him leading the way.”
Look. Wentz is a once-in-a-generation talent. The Eagles gave up their 2016 first-round pick, their 2016 third rounder, their 2016 fourth-round pick, a 2017 first-rounder and a 2018 second-rounder to trade up with the Cleveland Browns in 2016 to select Wentz No. 2 overall. He’s not going anywhere.
But Pederson does have some difficult decisions to make this offseason. He now has a Super Bowl-winning quarterback stuck at a backup position. And it’s not clear that Wentz will be ready to go for the Eagles’ Week 1 opener in 2018.
On Sunday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport provided an update on Wentz’s recovery, indicating that while it’s “realistic” Wentz could return for Week 1, “it may be close”:
From @NFLGameDay: It’s “realistic” that #Eagles QB Carson Wentz will be ready for the start of the season, though it may be close https://t.co/v420brMrbb pic.twitter.com/pNbYjPMlTP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 4, 2018
Pederson will undoubtedly field trade offers from teams looking to acquire Foles, who is under contract with the Eagles through at least 2018, this offseason.
Rapoport reports that though the team “loves its quarterback situation,” it would consider trading Foles “for the right price.”
Next: Doug Pederson's coaching earns Eagles first SB win
But what if Wentz isn’t ready to go by Week 1? Foles has shown the Eagles he can win for them, and undoubtedly Pederson would love to have him available to start the season. Can the Eagles rely on Nate Sudfeld to get the job done?
We’ll see this offseason.