In the wake of the Eagles’ decision to bench struggling starting QB Carson Wentz in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts, speculation that Philadelphia might try to trade Wentz this offseason has begun to swirl. However, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that the team has no intention of trading its embattled signal-caller.
A few of Wentz’s prominent teammates, like DT Fletcher Cox and C Jason Kelce, publicly voiced their support for Wentz this week, and one team source insisted that the benching in no way changes the belief that the organization has in the former No. 2 overall pick. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports also hears that the organization is hopeful that Wentz can regain his prior form next season and is committed to helping him do just that.
However, as La Canfora observes, rival front offices are still doing their due diligence on Wentz in case the Eagles should make him available via trade. And if Hurts should perform well over the final few weeks of the season, it could be that Wentz will be playing elsewhere in 2021.
One way or another, Philadelphia needs to make a decision by the second day of the 2021 league year, which will be sometime in the middle of March. On the third day of the league year, Wentz’s 2022 base salary of $22MM becomes fully-guaranteed, and he will receive a $10MM roster bonus for 2021. Cutting Wentz would result in a massive dead cap hit of nearly $60MM, and while the Eagles could spread out that hit over two years by designating him a post-June 1 cut, carrying $30MM on the books for two consecutive seasons for a player no longer on the roster appears untenable.
Trading Wentz before the third day of the 2021 league year would result in a dead cap charge of just under $34MM for 2021 — which could not be spread out over two seasons — but given that his cap number for next season is set to be just above $34MM, the Eagles would actually save a bit of cap space and would at least have some draft pick compensation in their pocket. That is perhaps why one NFL executive told Schefter that a trade is probably the best-case scenario for Philadelphia at this point.
One team that has repeatedly come up in trade rumors surrounding Wentz is the Colts, largely because of Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich. Reich was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator from 2016-17, and the 2017 season was easily the best of Wentz’s career. He was a legitimate MVP candidate before a torn ACL suffered towards the tail end of the campaign kept him out of Philadelphia’s magical run to the Super Bowl, and since the Colts will likely be looking for a long-term passer at season’s end, a Reich-Wentz reunion makes plenty of sense.
Any deal would obviously be complicated by financial considerations, both for the Eagles and the acquiring club, and a lot will depend on how Hurts plays down the stretch. If the Eagles elect to fire head coach Doug Pederson after the season, the new HC’s opinion on Wentz would certainly be a key factor as well. Regardless, you can be sure that we will be talking about the Wentz situation a great deal over the coming months.
Eagles are praying Bill O’Brien gets hired ASAP!
Getting hired where? BOB is not someone you want.
Way to kill the joke. Well done. Hammer.
They have to
Wentz can be good in the league, he’s done it before, just keep him for the next two years, put some weapons around him and pay him what he’s owed and if it doesn’t work out I’m over those two years then cut ties with him then. They’re aren’t a good QB away from being a championship team anyway.
Duh they have the good QB, it’s the weapons around him that need a lot of work.
Actually, he’s not good. That’s why he was benched for a rookie. It’s a what have you done for me lately league.
Id file this in the “they have to say this even if they intend to trade him” category
Colts could throw them a third I think PHI would be happy just to get out of his money
That’s not how this works. They’d get more than a 3rd but would still have heavy cap implications with a trade.
A third-round pick? The Eagles would be paying a third to a half of Wentz’s contract for those first couple of years.
I dont know if anyone will offer anything. i think if they get offered a 2nd or better they have to jump at it at this point. otherwise, not great to keep an overpaid backup QB, but if Howie can fit that in the cap then works for me.
Wentz has talent. Curious if McDaniels and Belichick could correct it.
Don’t see a fit. They may see potential for upside but that contract is not what you pay for upside it’s what you pay a top tier qb week in and week out. I could see him turning it around but wouldn’t pay that salary to take a chance to see
Considering Belichick isn’t going to coach forever, it may not be a bad idea. A couple of tweaks and a Vulcan mind meld…
The Eagles are paying for about half of it over the next few seasons. Starting that third season, Wentz’s contract is very fair. Think about it.
I believe his cap hits,if traded would be 25,28,31,& 32m the next 4 years.Considering Mahomes and Watson both got 40 & over,those hits really ain’t that bad.First 2 years are both below the tag,and the last 2 likely will be too,by the time those years get here.There also won’t be much guaranteed after the 1st year.
The Eagles main problem is that they no longer have an OL that can dominate like it once did. Trading Wentz doesn’t solve that.
True. Look at the Cowboys.
They’ll have a decent if healthy line back next year though when Brooks and Johnson return, Mailata and Pryor improve, but I’m guessing this season will lead to Kelce retiring.
Pryor? He’s horrible.
Johnson and Brooks are both questionable considering their ages and recent injury history.
March 19. Mark your calendars.
If the Eagles were to trade Wentz and get hit with a $34 million dead cap. Does that mean the Eagles can offer up to $34 million in salary relief for whichever team acquires Wentz without having any more of a cap hit?
Because if Wentz is being offered at little to no salary, you can bet someone is buying
Exactly!! If the Eagles are gonna eat up a significant portion of his compensation, they will require a higher draft pick: first or early second-round pick at least.
What choice do they have? If they were to release him that’s 59 million in debt money and I don’t think anyone is stupid enough to trade for the guy.
What about the pats trading for him maybe josh and Bill can make him into a pro bowl qb again
They are stuck with him…Contract is untradeable. They will choking that $$$ down themselves.
Literally can’t cut him. Look at their cap situation.
As a Cowboys fan, I hope Wentz stays on their books and plays.
I have no idea about how all the dead mo he and everything works. But could you just do a nba style trade and completely swap contracts and players.
In which case I’d love to see Wentz for T. Hilton and a second round pick