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It's hard to find a player who has had more bad luck than Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz over the last two years.
Back in 2017, Wentz was leading an Eagles team that was one of the best in the NFL and was in the midst of an MVP-caliber season before a torn ACL in Week 14 ended his campaign. He then watched from the bench as Nick Foles led Philadelphia to its first-ever Super Bowl title.
Then, this past year, Wentz missed the final five games of the season due to a back issue and once again watched Foles lead the Eagles to the playoffs, where they proceeded to upset the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card Round before falling to the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Round.
But now, Foles is gone, so Wentz is officially taking center stage in the City of Brotherly Love.
Here are a few reasons why Wentz can enter the MVP conversation in 2019.
3. A Deep Offense
The Eagles added a couple of key pieces to their offense this offseason, trading for Bears running back Jordan Howard and bringing back wide receiver DeSean Jackson for a second go-around in Philly.
Not only that, but the Eagles picked up fellow wide out JJ Arcega-Whiteside in the second round of the draft.
With a receiving corps headlined by Alshon Jeffery, Jackson, and Nelson Agholor, an elite tight end in Zach Ertz, and what should be an improved running game after a poor showing in 2018, the Eagles' offense should be a bit better than it was a year ago.
The more options for Wentz, the better his numbers will be, and it also helps that he is playing behind a dynamite offensive line that Pro Football Focus feels is the best in the league.
2. A Relatively Easy NFC East
While the Dallas Cowboys are clearly the favorites to repeat as division champions, the NFC East as a whole isn't very good, as the New York Giants and Washington Redskins are both clearly in rebuilding mode and likely won't be threats to finish on top.
Some feel that Philadelphia will actually end up winning the division, and much of that has to do with the fact that Wentz may be the best signal-caller of the bunch with Dak Prescott largely being a game manager, Eli Manning clearly being past his prime, and Dwayne Haskins just starting out his NFL career.
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The NFC East is there for the taking for Wentz and Co., and if the Eagles are able to beat out the Cowboys for the division crown and Wentz has a big year in the process, he will almost certainly be an MVP candidate.
It's not like he will be going up against great defenses in the division, either, so the opportunity to put up numbers is definitely there.
1. We Have Seen Him Do It Before
Can Wentz actually stay on the field for a full season?
That's the big question, but we know that when Wentz is healthy, he is a fine quarterback and already has an MVP-type season under his belt. Prior to getting injured in 2017, Wentz had thrown for 3,296 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while completing 60.2 percent of his passes and registering a passer rating of 101.9.
Heck, in 2018, he had totaled 3,074 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven picks while completing 69.6 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 102.2 through 11 games.
Wentz has solid arm strength, and he also showed a huge improvement in his precision last year, completing a full nine percent more of his passes than he did during his best season in 2017.
As long as Wentz is healthy, he is one of the league's better quarterbacks, and so long as the Eagles live up to expectations, he will have a great shot of being in the MVP race yet again.
