Eagles need Carson Wentz ready for season opener
The Eagles won a Super Bowl with Nick Foles at the helm, but they need Carson Wentz to be ready to go for Week 1 of the 2018 season.
Carson Wentz’s health continues to be the biggest storyline of the Eagles preseason. The recent news that he may not actually be ready to go on Week 1 should be sounding alarm bells all around the organization. If the Eagles are forced to rely on Nick Foles to get them off to a good start it could really damage the team’s hopes of winning another Super Bowl.
Wentz is still doing all he can to be ready to play against the Falcons in the opener, but he admits that “it’s going to be close.” In other words, there’s a significant chance he won’t be ready to start the season on the active roster. If he’s not judged to be healthy enough to play, Foles will get the chance to ride in and save the day for the Eagles once again.
Missing one or two games isn’t likely to torpedo Philadelphia’s season. They would certainly go from favorite to underdog in the first week against the Falcons if Wentz isn’t in the lineup. Their next two games, at Tampa Bay and at home against the Colts should be manageable with Foles in charge. The real key for the Eagles will be to get Wentz back to 100 percent before they travel to play the Titans at the end of September.
None of this means the organization should put Wentz’s long-term career in any jeopardy by rushing him back onto the field. He may be upset that his return date isn’t his decision, but the Eagles’ coaching staff and front office have a bigger picture to worry about. They want Wentz to be their franchise quarterback for the next decade. As important as 2018 is, they’re not going to sacrifice Wentz’s long-term health to get off to a quick start.
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In the end, Eagles fans just need to hope Foles doesn’t end up on the PUP list. That would force him to miss a minimum of six games. Missing that much of the season could make it really hard for Philadelphia to make it back to the playoffs to defend their Super Bowl title. The Eagles can survive one or two games without Wentz in charge, but six could be fatal. It’s definitely something for Philadelphia fans to watch closely in the lead up to Week 1.