More On: carson wentz
Empty apologies only add to confusing sports madness
Giants report card: Joe Judge was absolutely right
Adam Schefter cites coronavirus for Eagles’ head-scratching Jalen Hurts pick
How Eagles are spinning Jalen Hurts-Carson Wentz situation
Eagles create weird Carson Wentz dynamic with Jalen Hurts NFL Draft 2020 pick
Carson Wentz went from hearing the cha-ching of cashing in on an extension to the sound of a ticking clock in a span of 10 months. The Eagles dropped a second-round stunner on the 2020 NFL Draft by selecting former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts with the No. 53 pick despite having the 27-year-old …
Carson Wentz went from hearing the cha-ching of cashing in on an extension to the sound of a ticking clock in a span of 10 months.
The Eagles dropped a second-round stunner on the 2020 NFL Draft by selecting former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts with the No. 53 pick despite having the 27-year-old Wentz under contract through 2024 on a four-year deal worth $128 million.
General manager Howie Roseman and coach Doug Pederson immediately tried to downplay any talk of a quarterback controversy, but better luck next time. Some Eagles fans never warmed to the injury-prone Wentz and the arrival of Hurts could reinforce the adage the most popular player on a team is the backup quarterback.
“We’ve shown how we feel about Carson by our actions — by the amount of picks we’ve put into [helping] him and by the contract extension,” Roseman said. “We believe this is the guy to lead us to our next Super Bowl championship, but for better or worse we are quarterback developers. We want to be a quarterback factory.”
The Eagles paired Donovan McNabb and Jeff Garcia last decade and then won Super Bowl LII behind backup Nick Foles after Wentz’s MVP-caliber season was cut short. The beloved Foles left in free agency, allowing Wentz not to live in his shadow.
Enter Hurts, who starred at the Senior Bowl and drew a comparison to Dak Prescott from the game’s executive director Jim Nagy, a former Seahawks scout.
“Nobody is going to be looking at a rookie quarterback taking over for a Pro Bowl quarterback,” Roseman said, “but at the end of the day we believe in the quarterback position.”
Some scouts believe Hurts could fill a complementary role like Taysom Hill does for Drew Brees and the Saints. Hill spells Brees for certain plays, especially in the red zone, and plays on special teams.
“It’s something we are going to explore,” Pederson said. “First and foremost, Jalen Hurts is a good quarterback, he was drafted as a quarterback and he is a quarterback first. But he has a unique skill set. He is a great runner.”
Roseman informed Wentz earlier in the day of the possibility of selecting Hurts and, after the pick was made, Wentz quickly turned to Twitter to welcome Hurts to “the best football city in America.”
The durable Hurts was 38-4 as a college starter and accounted for 123 touchdowns. He transferred after losing his job at Alabama to Tua Tagovailoa, who was the No. 5 pick by the Dolphins — but first proved he could be a great teammate as a backup, which mattered to the Eagles’ brass.
“I don’t put a ceiling on myself or my game,” Hurts said. “I’m excited to soak it all in like a sponge and improve every day.”
The Eagles managed to keep their interest quiet despite scouting Hurts’ games at Oklahoma, background phone calls to coaches and arranging a one-on-one meeting at Oklahoma’s pro day, before the coronavirus pandemic.
“I control what I can,” Hurts said. “This is a great moment for me and family.”
