According to reports, Carson Wentz may be shut down for the rest of the 2018-2019 NFL season due to a lingering back injury we heard about earlier this year. Wow.
So there might be a reason we’ve seen a slight dropoff in Wentz’ play aside from the obvious — being 10-12 months removed from a torn ACL.
This season, Wentz has simply looked a little different. He hasn't quite been able to hit the deep ball with consistency like he did in 2017, and he scrambles and extends plays far less than last season as well. His inability to escape a collapsing pocket and find an open target downfield on a broken play could be an effect of the somewhat mysterious back issues.
The injury could also be a major contributor in why the Eagles can barely find the end zone, let alone the opponent’s side of the field, in the first quarters of games. He simply isn’t feeling himself until defenses play a bit and get a little tired — then he can strike.
So what does it mean for the rest of the year?
Well, Nick Foles will likely step up if need be and play out the season. If he somehow pulls out wins against the Rams and Texans, I will be slightly worried for Wentz’s reputation in Philadelphia.
Until he wins the Super Bowl, Wentz is going to develop a bad relationship with some Eagles fans, and yes, it’s unfair (editors note: also ridiculous).
Since Foles, a perennial underappreciated player in Philadelphia, already won the Eagles their first Super Bowl title, some Eagles fans think they’re entitled to unfair criticism of Wentz. And that will only increase if Foles delivers in the final weeks of the current season.
Shutting down Wentz is important in the long run, as now he can take time to rest up and go through a full off season healthy again. Last time he did that, he looked like the MVP favorite for 13 weeks the following season.
