The Eagles have worked their way into having maybe one of the worst, most complex quarterbacks situations in the NFL — and there really is no clear way out.
They have an overpaid, underperforming franchise quarterback in Carson Wentz.
They have an impressive rookie in Jalen Hurts with a very small sample size of work to judge him off of.
They will have (likely) a top-five pick in a 2021 NFL Draft class that has at least three, if not more, extremely interesting and impressive quarterback prospects.
Add everything up, and the Eagles’ path at quarterback moving forward is anything but simple, and it is almost impossible to choose one path without completely blowing up the others.
They can't go with Wentz and keep Hurts. They can't go with Hurts and keep Wentz. They can't draft a quarterback at the top of the first round while also keeping Wentz or Hurts. It is a terrible situation to be in, but one the team must now work their way out of.
What the Eagles will do remains to be seen, but one thing is clear — when the team opens up the season in 2021, they will have decided to do one of these five things at quarterback:
Fix Carson Wentz: The Eagles decided in the 2019 offseason that they were committed to Carson Wentz as their franchise quarterback. Now, after a disastrous 2020 season, they have to decide if they want to recommit to him. Sticking with Wentz won’t be easy or cheap, considering the close to $25 million in new money he is owed next season, and the likely complete overhaul of the coaching staff that will come with Wentz returning. It is hard to envision a scenario where Doug Pederson is back as Wentz’s coach.
Do the Eagles believe in Wentz enough to pay him again while also hiring a new coaching staff? And if they do bring back Wentz, can they bring back Jalen Hurts as well — or is that situation already too toxic for both players? There simply is no attractive path forward with Wentz, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the most likely outcome for this team at quarterback.
Give Jalen Hurts another year to win the job: If the Eagles do decide to trade Wentz, the next question will be what they do with Hurts. Hurts has been very impressive this season despite his poor outing against Dallas. He has shown enough in three NFL starts (with no preseason) to have real, legitimate belief he can be a starting NFL quarterback. After doubling-down on Wentz so early in his career, the good news is the Eagles don’t have to commit big money to Hurts anytime soon. They have at least two more season until they even have to consider it.
Making Hurts the starting quarterback in 2021 isn’t giving him the franchise. It is giving him one season to try to win the job. If he does, than they move forward with him in 2022. If he doesn’t, they can use (likely) another top-10 pick to find their next quarterback.
Making Hurts the quarterback in 2021 is the easiest, cleanest way to have some combination of hope while also not handing the franchise over to a quarterback.
Draft Justin Fields: The Eagles could be drafting as high as No. 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft. If they do, they absolutely have to consider taking a quarterback. Yes, that is complicated considering the presence of Wentz and Hurts on the roster, but there is no question that a premium asset like a top-three pick is best used on the most important position in the game — quarterback.
With likely no shot at Trevor Lawrence, the No. 2 quarterback prospect on the board is Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Fields, 6-foot-3, 223 pounds, has the perfect combination of everything teams are looking for in a future franchise quarterback. He has a strong arm, he can make plays with his legs and he has proven he can make big plays in big moments.
He might not be on the board at No. 3, but if he is, and the Eagles believe he is a better prospect than Wentz and Hurts, they will have to consider it.
Draft Zach Wilson: The same logic in taking Fields applies to Wilson, the 6-foot-3, 210 pounds BYU quarterback that has played his way into being a top-10 pick this season. Wilson is not the prospect that Fields is, but he brings some of the same qualities as an athletic, playmaking quarterback that can hurt a team through the air and with his legs.
Wilson feels like a player the Eagles could consider if they are drafting outside of the top five.
Draft Trey Lance: The Eagles drafting another franchise quarterback from North Dakota State would certainly be funny, and you have to wonder if their experience with Wentz would factor into their willingness to take Lance. Lance is a notch below both Fields and Wilson, and it is hard to imagine him starting for the Eagles in 2021 in Week 1. Still, if the team is out on Wentz and not sold on Hurts, Lance could be their last chance in the top 10 to land one of the best quarterback prospects in the draft.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
