Eagles Still Eyeing Carson Wentz Extension
We heard back in March that the Eagles were optimistic about a Carson Wentz extension, and that still seems to be the case. Appearing on the 94WIP Morning Show, executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman said he’s still planning on extending the franchise quarterback.
“This is something that we are planning to do and if the deal is right for us, and the deal is right for Carson, we wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on that,” Roseman said (via Andrew Porter of Radio.com). “That’s just the amount of confidence we have and we want to build this team knowing kind of what that piece is in place and go forward.”
The Eagles recently picked up the former second-overall pick’s fifth-year option, meaning Wentz will earn $22.783MM in 2020. However, that means Wentz is only under contract for two more seasons. With quarterback salaries continuing to rise, it’s only natural that the front office would look to extend their quarterback as soon as possible.
Wentz has battled injuries throughout his career, and he’s missed the past two postseasons as he dealt with ACL and back injuries. The organization made it pretty clear that they were ready to move forward with Wentz after they let former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles walk earlier this offseason. While some fans and pundits are wary of Wentz’s injury history, it doesn’t sound like the Eagles front office is all that concerned.
“I gotta be honest, I have so much faith in Carson Wentz,” Roseman said. “Obviously we put a lot on the line to draft him. He’s someone that we have total confidence. You see him around the building every day and he’s out on the field, it’s just—this guy is going to be a great player for the Philadelphia Eagles for a long time. This guy is going to be a great player for the Philadelphia Eagles for a long time.”
Wentz looked the part of a franchise quarterback when he was healthy in 2018. He finished the campaign with 3,074 yards and 21 touchdowns with a 69.6 completion percentage in 11 games. Despite his injuries, his on-field production has put him in line for a lucrative extension. After a few years of relative stagnancy, the quarterback market has transformed over the past year. With the Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson extensions moving the AAV bar north of $30MM, Wentz would presumably be eyeing a similar deal. The longer the Eagles wait, the better chance there is of Wentz’s asking price increasing (assuming he stays healthy).
Eagles Pick Up Carson Wentz’s Option
No surprise here. On Monday, the Eagles exercised Carson Wentz‘s fifth-year option, per a team announcement. 
This was a no-brainer call for the Eagles, who have committed to Wentz as their quarterback of the future. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft is now set to earn $22.783MM in 2020, the season after the initial four years on his contract come to a close.
Wentz, of course, was sidelined for the Eagles’ postseason run following the 2017 campaign, paving the way for Nick Foles to take the wheel and lead the franchise to its first ever Super Bowl victory. Last year, the injury bug bit Wentz once again. He missed a good chunk of the year with back troubles, but Foles was there once again to pinch hit. Unfortunately, the magic ran out for Philly last year, and the Eagles no longer have Foles as a safety net.
Should Wentz’s back issues reemerge to the point where his performance is compromised, he’ll be protected per the rules of the fifth-year option, which is guaranteed for injury. For any non-health issues, the Eagles retain the right to cut him loose without being on the hook for nearly $23MM in 2020.
Wentz looked the part of franchise quarterback when he was healthy in 2018. He finished the campaign with 3,074 yards and 21 touchdowns with a 69.6 completion percentage in 11 games.
Latest On Carson Wentz’s Timetable
Shortly after the Eagles’ 2018 season ended, Carson Wentz was believed to be on track to be ready for the start of the team’s 2019 offseason program. That prospective return date has since been revised.
Wentz is not yet recovered from the back injury that ended his third NFL season. The fourth-year Philadelphia quarterback said (via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, on Twitter) he is progressing in his recovery from the 2018 stress fracture but is not there yet. Wentz’s return goal is now the Eagles’ OTA sessions, which are set for next month.
While Wentz has not returned to full strength, he did say (via NFL.com) he has been running and throwing some this offseason. The Eagles, who began their offseason program on Monday, have their OTAs scheduled to start May 21.
With Nick Foles now a Jaguar, the Eagles obviously need Wentz at full strength now more than they have the past two seasons. Wentz spent the 2018 offseason rehabbing from the torn knee ligaments that ended his 2017 season. A sizable chunk of this offseason will have been spent recovering from the back ailment that brought Foles back into action in December. After starting the first 29 games of his NFL career, the 26-year-old passer has missed eight over the past two seasons.
Nate Sudfeld has taken over for Foles as the Eagles’ backup quarterback. Although the new Philadelphia QB2 has served in this capacity frequently over the past two years, the former Washington sixth-round pick has thrown just 25 NFL passes. The Eagles placed a second-round RFA tender on Sudfeld; he signed the tender Monday.
Eagles Eyeing Carson Wentz Extension
While Carson Wentz‘s rapid rise from Division I-FCS prospect to 2017 MVP frontrunner preceded setbacks, the Eagles showed their belief in their starting quarterback by allowing Nick Foles to defect to the Jaguars.
An open-and-shut fifth-year option decision on Wentz is due by May 3. That would allow the Eagles to have him under contract through 2020. But Howie Roseman may not want to put an extension off much longer, confirming Monday he would like to extend the quarterback (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com).
Wentz has missed eight games over the past two seasons, his season-ending knee injury ending a 2017 MVP push and back trouble sidelining him last season. Both campaigns then featured Foles elevating the Eagles’ offense, winning Super Bowl LII MVP honors in one season and lifting Philly to a road playoff victory in another.
The Eagles rearranged their payroll considerably to move under the cap this month and used some of the space to bring DeSean Jackson back and add Malik Jackson. They still have more than $25MM in cap space.
The timing for a Wentz extension is interesting, given his injuries the past two seasons and $8.5MM cap number in 2019. But the Eagles have continually showed faith in their 26-year-old quarterback, whose back malady is not expected to linger long-term. (Though, back injuries certainly represent a cause for concern through a long-term lens.) He is expected to be ready for Philadelphia’s offseason program.
After a few years of relative stagnancy, the quarterback market has transformed over the past year. With the Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers extensions moving the AAV bar north of $30MM, the Packers signing their two-time MVP to a $33MM-per-year accord, a Wentz deal would be in line to step into that ballpark. The Eagles waiting until 2020 would stand to up Wentz’s price further, assuming he stays healthy, considering the Chiefs will then be in position to give Patrick Mahomes a possible market-shattering extension.
Wentz, by a considerable margin, established a new completion percentage standard last season (69.6 percent). His touchdown pass percentage dropped from 7.5 to 5.2 compared to his dominant 2017 showing, with the 11-game starter finishing with 21 TD tosses compared to 33 in 13 2017 games. The Eagles went 5-6 under Wentz last season, before Foles offered more late-season magic to steer the team to the playoffs.
Roseman, though, has long stood by his 2016 draft choice, and extension talks figure to transpire this offseason.
Carson Wentz Expected Healthy For Offseason Program
For the second consecutive season, an injury kept Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz out of the postseason in 2018. Unlike last season, however, the team’s franchise signal-caller is expected to be ready for the team’s offseason program in 2019, ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes.
A stress fracture in his back sidelined the third-year quarterback for the final five games of the season. The Eagles once again rallied behind Nick Foles, however, made it to the playoffs and downed the NFC North champion Bears in the Wild Card round.
Though he will be healthy enough to take the field for the program in April, it remains to be seen if the Eagles want to run him back out there.
Schefter notes that some in the organization believe his back injury is related to the knee issues he had in 2017. There is no definitive proof to those theories, however.
With Foles expected to be starting in a new locale in 2019, the Eagles will not have the luxury of having arguably the league’s best backup should Wentz sustain another major injury in 2019.
Wentz looked the part of franchise quarterback when he was healthy in 2018. He finished the campaign with 3,074 yards and 21 touchdowns with a 69.6 completion percentage in 11 games.
NFC Notes: Wentz, Foles, Packers
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz won’t get into details about the stress fracture in his back that has cost him time over the last two seasons. Apparently, GM Howie Roseman isn’t willing to discuss specifics either, as Les Bowen of the Daily News writes.
“Carson talked about the injury [Monday] and coach [Doug] Pederson has talked about it, as well. I kind of stand by what they said,” Roseman said this week. “When we talk about injuries, injuries are of a personal nature. I don’t want to get involved in timetables or going backwards about it. We feel very good about where Carson’s going to be and having a full offseason, and we’re excited for him to have that.”
Wentz was on the official injury report with a back problem for two weeks in October. After that, he was off the injury report, until his back problems returned later in the year and ultimately shelved him. Many are left wondering whether the Eagles handled Wentz’s back problems appropriately and wondering if Wentz will be good to go for the 2019 season.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Eagles paid quarterback Nick Foles a $1MM signing bonus to account for the incentive he missed out on by just four snaps, Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Foles technically needed to play in 33% of the team’s snaps in order to cash on in the playoff bonus, but the Eagles decided to do right by their Super Bowl hero. Unfortunately for Philly, the good will gesture probably won’t be enough to keep Foles in the fold next year. Several teams are desperate for QB help and free agent riches await the veteran.
- Matt LaFleur‘s desire to call plays and advance his career led him to leave a comfortable job with the Rams to become the Titans’ offensive coordinator. That initiative impressed GM Brian Gutekunst, which helped LaFleur land the Packers‘ head coaching job earlier this month. “Most of that was just talking to people who had coached with Matt, worked with him,” Gutekunst said (via Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette). “Then his presence in the (interview) room was positive as well. He had the whole offense (while) working for a defensive head coach this past year in Tennessee. Him actively seeking that opportunity and doing that this year made me feel pretty good about it.”
NFC Notes: Peat, Cowboys, Eagles, Crowder
Andrus Peat committed four penalties during the Saints‘ divisional-round win over the Eagles, and part of the reason for his struggles surfaced. The veteran guard suffered a broken hand in Week 17, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. NOLA.com’s Josh Katzenstein notes the Saints’ starting left guard broke his right hand. The injury during New Orleans’ meaningless regular-season finale led to Peat undergoing surgery during the bye week, Schefter adds. Against the Eagles, Peat played through “serious pain.” It is unclear if or how much Peat aggravated his injury on Sunday, and it’s not certain if he will be available to face the Rams. Though, Peat’s postgame comments do not point to him resting against Los Angeles. He played through ankle and quadriceps injuries this season and suffered a concussion. This was also the second straight year the Saints’ playoff opener has involved a Peat injury. The former first-round pick suffered a broken fibula during New Orleans’ wild card-round win last year and missed the Saints’ divisional game in Minnesota.
As the coaching carousel spins, here is the latest from the NFC’s non-coaching news cycle:
- The Cowboys are among the league leaders in projected cap space, at $54MM-plus, but they are not expecting to be major players in free agency. “It doesn’t mean that we won’t play free agency at all; we just won’t be paying a high-profile free agent, more than likely,” VP Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan (via Jon Machota of the Dallas News on Twitter). “Never rule anything out all the way, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s going to be our strategy going into the offseason.” Dallas is likely saving money to pay its glut of extension-eligible young talents. Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Byron Jones and Jaylon Smith are now all eligible for re-ups. With Dallas also making Zack Martin the richest guard in football last year, big outside investments may not be realistic this offseason.
- Speaking of playing through injury, Eagles wideout Alshon Jeffery played through cracked ribs against the Saints, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. An MRI last week revealed the injury. Jeffery dropped a Nick Foles pass that ricocheted into Marshon Lattimore‘s arms. This setback likely will not be nearly as troublesome for Jeffery to surmount as the one he played through in 2017. Jeffery’s previous shoulder issue caused him to miss all of Philadelphia’s offseason program and sidelined him into the 2018 season.
- While a scenario may exist involving the Eagles franchise-tagging Foles and attempting to trade him, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (video link) expects the quarterback to hit the free agent market. Foles’ impending exit would further tether the Eagles to Carson Wentz, who has suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back years. But Wentz said Monday doctors have assured him this back injury is not expected to linger long-term.
- Elsewhere in the NFC East, the Redskins do not want to let another of their mainstay wide receivers walk as a free agent. Washington allowed both Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson to depart in 2017, and while neither 30-something pass-catcher has matched his Washington work since, the Redskins have not been the same at wideout either. Jay Gruden said (via ESPN.com’s John Keim) the team wants to try to re-sign Jamison Crowder “for sure.” Crowder will not be looking at Jarvis Landry money but is a sneaky-interesting name that could be on the market. Although injuries plagued Crowder this season, limiting him to nine games (career-low 388 receiving yards), it will not be especially cheap for Washington to bring him back. “It’s a great time to be a slot receiver,” Crowder said, via Keim.
Latest On QBs Carson Wentz, Nick Foles
If the Eagles make the playoffs, they likely won’t have Carson Wentz under center… and that could mean extra money is coming Nick Foles‘ way. Appearing on Good Morning Football, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport discussed the various incentives in Foles’ contract, and he also touched on the Eagles potential offseason options regarding the veteran (Twitter link).
Rapoport notes that Foles has already earned $2MM in incentives this season, and he’ll earn another $250K if he can help lead the Eagles to the postseason. The veteran can also make $1MM for each playoff victory, providing him with plenty of options to boost his income. The Eagles can make the playoffs with a win today over the Redskins and a Bears victory over the Vikings.
If the Eagles do end up making the playoffs, they’ll likely be going forward without Wentz. The franchise quarterback has been dealing with a back injury for some time, and the organization has already effectively shut him down for the season. However, Rapoport says that Wentz will have a scan on his back at some point next week. The scan is intended to “see if he’s got a shot” to play in the postseason, so there’s apparently some optimism that we may see Wentz at some point during the playoffs.
Either way, the team is prepared to move forward with Wentz, as Rapoport says that “it’s clear” that Foles won’t be back in 2019. The reporter details two potential paths the organization could take with their veteran signal-caller. The front office could choose to pick up Foles’ $20MM mutual option, at which point Foles would be expected to pay $2MM to “buy” his way into free agency. Alternatively, the team could choose to franchise Foles, allowing them to then shop the player to any quarterback-needy teams.
If the Eagles season does end today, we’ll still be hearing plenty about the team’s quarterback situation throughout the offseason.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Manning, Eagles, Foles, Wentz
Toward the beginning of the season, it seemed like a formality that Eli Manning wouldn’t be the Giants’ quarterback next year. The Giants were 1-7 and the season was circling the drain again, with Manning struggling heavily in his first year in Pat Shurmur’s offense. But the Giants then shockingly turned things around. They won four out of five games after that, znd very nearly pulled off a massive upset in Indianapolis this past Sunday.
Manning is suddenly having his best statistical season in many years, and his yards per attempt is the best it’s been since 2011. With all that’ happened, Manning won’t be getting any sort of send off this upcoming week in the Giants’ home finale, and fans shouldn’t write off Manning just yet, writes Ralph Vacchiano at SNY. The team isn’t planning anything special because they don’t view it as Manning’s last game as a Giant, and sources told Vacchiano that “it’s still more likely than not that he’ll be their starting quarterback again in 2019.” It’s a pretty surprising development, and it’ll be an epic comeback for Manning if he manages to hold onto the job for at least another year after his fate appeared all but sealed. With the Giants having won some games they’re no longer in a position to pick at the top of the draft, and the top quarterback or two could be gone by the time they’re up. What the Giants do at quarterback will surely be one of the most talked about storylines this offseason.
Here’s the latest from the NFC East on Christmas morning:
- Speaking of the Giants, the team will likely be making a “series of roster moves” this week as the season winds down, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Daily News. Schwartz writes that the team isn’t going to officially shut down Odell Beckham Jr. yet and hopes that he can still return for Week 17, but several other players will be placed on IR. That likely means some practice squad call-ups are in order for the Giants’ last hurrah at home against the Cowboys, and a lot of young guys should see some action.
- Over in Philadelphia, it’s been Deja Vu for the Eagles as Nick Foles has come in cold off the bench to lead them to a couple of crucial wins. Foles has the Eagles on the verge of making the playoffs after they were all but eliminated, and is really helping his future value in the process. With Foles set to be a free agent after the season, Tim McManus of ESPN took a look at Foles’ potential suitors this offseason, and what type of contract he might be looking at. McManus lists the Jaguars, Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Redskins as some of the potential landing spots, and thinks he’ll end up with a deal somewhere in the Case Keenum range of $18MM per year. Foles will have at least one more chance to boost his stock in Week 17 against the Redskins.
- Speaking of Foles, coach Doug Pederson formally announced earlier this week that he’d start against Washington, but the team still isn’t placing Carson Wentz on injured reserve, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP (Twitter link). Pederson cryptically said Foles would be the starter for “at least this week”, and refused to say whether or not Wentz could or would play if the team makes the playoffs. If Wentz is healthy enough to play and the team makes the playoffs, it would make for a fascinating dilemma.
Extra Points: Wentz, Gurley, Newton, Draft
Cam Newton will not play in the Panthers‘ final two games, and Monday night was the tipping point. The eighth-year quarterback complained of shoulder pain in the fourth quarter of recent games, but Albert Breer of SI.com notes Newton was dealing with soreness in the third stanza of Carolina’s 12-9 loss to New Orleans. This, and the short week going into the Panthers’ Sunday game, prompted Ron Rivera and Marty Hurney to bring the idea of shutting the starter down to owner David Tepper. The rookie owner concurred with the coach and GM and then informed Newton of the plan, Breer adds. It’s unclear if Newton is dealing with anything beyond shoulder soreness, but he has not looked the same for weeks. And a national audience observed the former MVP’s throwing issues Monday.
Newton underwent shoulder surgery last year, sidelining him for much of the offseason. Two years remain on the 29-year-old QB’s contract, and how he recovers from this latest shoulder problem may determine the timetable the Panthers set for discussing another extension.
Here’s the latest from around the league going into Week 16:
- Carson Wentz is set to join Newton in ending his season early, with back trouble shelving the Eagles‘ franchise passer. This, however, is not the first back issue Wentz has dealt with in his career. Wentz discovered a stress fracture in his back during his redshirt year at North Dakota State, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports. This injury, suffered prior to his North Dakota State tenure, healed fairly soon and is not related to his current setback, per McManus. Still, this may be something for the Eagles to monitor as they determine how to proceed with Nick Foles or a possible replacement backup this coming offseason.
- On the subject of NFC injuries, Todd Gurley has yet to resume running after he experienced knee inflammation, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com notes. The fourth-year Rams running back returned to Sunday’s game but has not practiced this week. He does not plan to do so the rest of this week but does expect to play against the Cardinals. With the Rams facing two bottom-end teams during the final two weeks of this season (the Cards and 49ers), and being effectively down two games to the Saints in the home-field advantage race, it would not be a surprise if Sean McVay rested Gurley until the playoffs. McVay rested Gurley and other starters in Week 17 of last season, even though the Rams were not locked into a seed. The Rams, who have not held a first-round bye since 2003, are one game up on the Bears for this year’s No. 2 seed.
- Ohio State running back Mike Weber has taken a backseat to J.K. Dobbins during the past two seasons, but the first of the Buckeyes’ post-Ezekiel Elliott starters will declare for the 2019 draft. A redshirt junior, Weber announced his decision on Twitter. Weber finished his career with 2,580 yards, 5.9 per carry, and 24 rushing touchdowns. He did not make much of an impact in the passing game but may be a mid-round prospect come April.
- The Lions worked out quarterback Joe Callahan and hosted three CFL tryouts — for wide receivers Bryant Mitchell, D’haquille Williams and Jordan Williams–Lambert — on Thursday, NFL reporter Howard Balzer tweets.
- With reserve/futures decisions for non-playoff teams due soon (the first day such deals can be agreed to is New Year’s Eve), the Browns also worked out a CFL-to-NFL hopeful. Linebacker Sam Eguavoen auditioned for the Browns on Thursday, per Balzer (on Twitter).