PHILADELPHIA (94 WIP) -- It isn't often that a 7-7 team deals with a quarterback controversy entering Week 16. The Philadelphia Eagles, however, aren't just any team.
Make no mistake about it — there will be plenty of debate this week among fans on what the Eagles should do at quarterback following their 30-23 win Sunday night over the Los Angeles Rams, a win led by backup quarterback Nick Foles.
Head coach Doug Pederson breathed even more life into that debate when at first he didn't say Foles would start next week against the Houston Texans. Later, Pederson confirmed Foles would get the start.
But the Eagles won't put franchise quarterback Carson Wentz on season-ending injured reserve because of his back injury, which preserves the option of benching Foles and going back to Wentz in Week 17. A move they should absolutely make as soon as Wentz and the team feels comfortable putting him back in.
As tempting as seeing if Foles can take this team on another magical ride might be, the Eagles would be absolutely foolish to keep the backup in the game, a decision that would be placing a small chance at another Super Bowl run over what is clearly in the long-term best interest of the team.
To be clear, a playoff run with Foles means very little for this team unless it results in another Super Bowl win.
Even then, do the Eagles really want Foles to win back-to-back titles? That might sound silly and ludicrous to even ask, but let's be brutally honest: What are the the long-term ramifications of Foles doing the unthinkable and winning another one?
Would the Eagles really be able to let a back-to-back Super Bowl winner -- at that point arguably the best quarterback in franchise history -- walk as a free agent? Would they sign be forced to sign Foles, or franchise-tag him, with money they were potentially planning for Wentz? Foles winning another ring, or even playing well enough to get his team close, would put a serious and potentially devastating twist in what is clearly their long-term plan — to build around Wentz.
There is also Wentz's psyche to take into consideration. Watching Foles win the Super Bowl that was supposed to be his last season was likely already tough to overcome mentally for Wentz. Watching Foles win another might be a death blow to Wentz's time in Philadelphia. The Eagles quarterback had to be having deja vu on Sunday night. Now, more than ever, the Eagles need to make it 1,000 percent clear they are still behind Wentz. Even if that means sitting a red-hot Foles and inserting a cold Wentz.
The Eagles are better off losing in the playoffs, or missing out on the playoffs, and getting Wentz experience in big-time, late-season games than they are riding Foles again. Foles is not the future of this team. His resume might be far better than Wentz's in fewer games, but the Eagles didn't trade up to draft Wentz at No. 2 overall to see Foles come in and steal the franchise away from him.
Foles might be good for winning big games in spot duty, but he has a long enough track record of inconsistency that there is very little reason for the Eagles to think he could actually be their quarterback for the next 10 years. Wentz might not have had a stellar 2018 and he might be dealing with injuries, but he still has a higher ceiling than Foles does.
The transition from Foles to Wentz this season, if it does happen, might not be a smooth one. There might not be the option to do it.
If Wentz is ready to play at any point this season when the games matter, however, the Eagles should put him in — without hesitation — and bench Foles.
