The Philadelphia Eagles handed quarterback Carson Wentz the largest deal in NFL history this offseason, signing him to a six-year, $154 million contract extension last month.
Obviously, the Eagles are committing to Wentz as the franchise quarterback long term, and head coach Doug Pederson says that Wentz is the “face of the franchise” moving forward.
“He automatically was put in that position (when he was drafted No. 2 overall),” Pederson said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “He's your starting quarterback. He's the face of the franchise. My first year in 2016, we're kinda married and attached to hip here with this deal. I don't think that necessarily has to change. In fact, he got the contract and the long-term deal, but that's not going to change Carson Wentz. That's not going to change who he is. That's not going to change his demeanor on and off the football field. He's going to lead how he leads and that's what I'm excited about. This gives Carson a new leash on leading this organization.”
Of course, Wentz has not played a full season since his rookie year in 2016, as a torn ACL ended his season prematurely in 2017, and a back issue knocked him out after 11 games in 2018.
Nick Foles stepped in for Wentz both times, leading the Eagles to their first ever Super Bowl title during the 2017-18 campaign, and the following year, he led Philadelphia to the playoffs and upset the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card Round.
This created sort of a quarterback controversy in Philly, as fans wondered if they were better off with Foles going forward, but the Eagles let Foles walk in free agency and opted to go with the younger, more talented Wentz, which was certainly the right decision.
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