Start Jalen Hurts. Bench Carson Wentz.
Don’t overthink this. That would be my advice to the Eagles as a self-inflicted quarterback controversy (really) starts in Philadelphia.
Except unlike in most quarterback controversies, this one shouldn’t be complicated. There is zero logical reason for the Eagles to go back to Wentz in Week 14 vs. the New Orleans Saints. Zero. This isn’t a 50-50 decision. There doesn’t have to be layers to it. The totality of Wentz’s season vs. what we saw from Hurts vs. the Packers is enough.
Pull the plug. Make the move.
Here’s all the reasons I can think of why any decision other than Hurts starting vs. the Saints would be completely foolish.
The team responded: We can’t discount this. Head coach Doug Pederson can’t discount this. The Eagles looked lifeless for over a month, and any pulse coming from the team was on the defensive side. Every drive was Groundhog Day. It felt like an accident when passes were completed. This was becoming the most unwatchable season in years. Then Wentz was benched and Hurts entered. Big plays happened. The quarterback had energy, and the team followed. Special teams made a play. The defense made stops to allow a fan base to dream again.
This is not Donovan McNabb in 2008: Let’s put that ridiculous comparison to bed. Wentz doesn’t belong in the same conversation as McNabb, and should not be afforded the same soft landing based on past precedent. McNabb had already taken the Eagles to four NFC Championship Games when Andy Reid sat him down in Nov. 2008 in Baltimore. There was a respect factor and a memory of big wins and rallies with McNabb. Wentz hasn’t earned that kind of trust.
Hurts is better right now: Use the stats (Wentz: 3.5 yards per play, 5.3 yards per attempt vs. Hurts: 6.3 yards per play, 9.1 yards per attempt). Use the eye test. We overcomplicate football too often. It didn’t take long for anyone watching vs. Green Bay to realize that Hurts is a better player than Wentz right now. He navigated the pocket better. He threw with better timing and touch. He threw more accurately. He’s not perfect, and had a couple of poor throws. But Wentz is at the bottom of the NFL. The Eagles have an upgrade.
Hurts can cover up this team’s issues better than this version of Wentz: Think back to Hurts’ first big completion down the field to Jalen Reagor. The blitz was coming. It wasn’t picked up. Pressure was there. Instead of panicking and either moving into a sack or throwing a poor pass, Hurts calmly threw a catchable deep ball down the field. It was subtle, just like how Hurts deftly moved up in the pocket before a couple of first-down runs. Wentz is frenetic and shows almost no poise. Hurts, off the bench and with little prep time, showed the moment wasn’t too big for him.
Money can’t decide this: Wentz’s contract is the worst in the NFL. It’s not going away. It also can’t dictate playing time. If it does, the Eagles will lose the rest of this locker room along the way. The best player has to play.
The NFC East isn’t over: I know the Giants won in Seattle. I recognize the math, and it likely means the Eagles have to win out to somehow rally to make the playoffs. At the very least, three wins in four games is now a must. The road to a 4-11-1 division title no longer exists. Call me crazy, but I don’t think it’s impossible for the Eagles to rally here. If the Eagles can somehow upset the Saints, they won’t face a team (currently) with a winning record the rest of the way.
Hurts can save Doug Pederson’s job: Declining veteran. Super Bowl winning head coach on the hot seat. Rumors of other teams set to chase the coach. Typically patient owner questioning everything. Athletic, raw rookie quarterback coming in. The 2018 Baltimore Ravens looked dead and lifeless. John Harbaugh was on the hot seat. Then Lamar Jackson replaced Joe Flacco. We’ve seen this story before.
Benching Wentz now will have no impact on his trade value: In fact, it might help it. Wentz’s historically bad season wasn’t turning around. If the Eagles keep him idle for the next four weeks, there’s a chance an interested party (Colts or Broncos come to mind) still makes a reasonable offer in early March.
The Eagles need to know what to do with a top-10 pick: This is crucial. The Eagles currently sit in the sixth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. When teams are this bad and with starting quarterbacks *this* bad, quarterback has to be a possibility that high in the draft. The Eagles need to know if Hurts can be a long-term answer before diving into the draft process.
The Eagles created this, and they can dictate the terms of where it goes next: There are no rules here. The Eagles have made this up since the moment Hurts was drafted. There was always a chance Hurts outshined Wentz when they put him in for extensive work, so the “what do we do next?” conversation should have already happened at the NovaCare Complex.
The Eagles have an entire offseason to reset this dilemma, but only a few days to make the glaringly obvious choice for Week 14: Play Hurts.