When the Philadelphia Eagles hired Nick Sirianni as their new head coach, most understandably saw the decision — at least partially — as a step toward getting quarterback Carson Wentz back on track. Sirianni, after all, is best known as an understudy of former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, one of Wentz’s top mentors during his 2017 MVP candidacy. But just because Sirianni is in town doesn’t mean Wentz wants to stay in Philadelphia. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Eagles’ former starter would prefer a fresh start elsewhere in 2021, even if his current team is not inclined to trade him.
Speaking with John Kincade on 97.5 The Fanatic Wednesday, Schefter suggested Wentz’s silence this offseason — the QB has notably refrained from welcoming Sirianni or commenting on ex-coach Doug Pederson’s dismissal — “tells you something.” Specifically, he added, reiterating previous ESPN reports, Wentz remains hopeful of a clean break from an organization that oversaw his stark regression in 2020.
“(He) wants to leave the franchise,” Schefter said. “That’s why (a) trade still is in play. This is all real. None of this is made up.”
The issue, Schefter explained, is that the Eagles are “not gonna trade him unless they get back fair value,” which he estimated, in their eyes, would be a first-round draft pick, at the minimum.
“They will listen,” he said. “Absolutely listen. And if a team makes the right offer, there will be a trade that will be made. But if a team doesn’t make the right offer, I think they’ll be open to bringing him back and having him compete in camp with Jalen Hurts. To me, it could go either way … Just because he would like to be moved doesn’t mean he will be. If I had to guess, I would guess he is traded … But again, they’re not looking to get rid of him. They’re not.”
Hurts, for what it’s worth, who started the Eagles’ final four games of 2020 after replacing a demoted Wentz, told CBS Sports HQ this week that he’s prepared to compete for the job if given the opportunity.
