“I was laying in the middle of a cornfield hunting geese when I got the call,” said Carson Wentz during a press conference on Sept. 5. The call was when he was named the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 6 foot 5 inch, 237-pound rookie quarterback from North Dakota State University excelled in college football as a part of four NCAA Division I FCS Football Championships.
The North Dakota native began his rise to collegiate stardom by compiling more than 4,762 yards in the air and 936 yards on the ground over the course of both the 2014 and 2015 seasons at North Dakota State. His additional 42 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing touchdowns helped thrust him into the NFL spotlight.
Wentz’s athleticism, for his size, makes him an ideal leader for any offensive regime in the NFL.
His impressive stats, media literacy, size and mobility boosted his draft stock, making him a mid-first round draft prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft.
The quarterback pool for the 2016 NFL Draft consisted of two first-round prospects that are each expected to be franchise players. Wentz was one and University of California’s Jared Goff was the other.
The St. Louis Rams, which just completed their move to Los Angeles, had possession of the first-overall pick in the draft, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles at pick No. 2.
The Los Angeles Rams chose Goff in the hopes that the California native would eventually lead the new Southern California franchise to its first Super Bowl victory since Super Bowl XXXIV.
The Philadelphia Eagles, excited with the availability of the athletic Wentz, chose him with the second overall pick.
Wentz became the highest Football Bowl Subdivision college football quarterback drafted in NFL draft history and was seen as the one to help the Eagles win the franchise’s first Super Bowl. Soon after the draft, speculation began on whether veteran Sam Bradford or Wentz would start the regular season opener against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m.
Bradford was angry with the team picking a quarterback, which led him to hold out on a few practices before the preseason began. The quarterback battle simmered when newly appointed head coach Doug Pederson chose to mold Wentz until he was ready to play at the NFL level.
Bradford was the obvious choice to start by Pederson at the start of the preseason so that Wentz could improve. The move was smart considering Bradford’s two-year, $36 million contract. This gave the Eagles room to let Wentz adjust and excel once the team needed him.
Out of nowhere, Philadelphia changed its mind. After the completion of the preseason, the Eagles traded Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings for a first-round draft pick in 2017 and a fourth-round pick in 2018. The Vikings made the move after franchise quarterback Teddy Bridgewater tore his ACL during a non-contact portion of practice.
This opened the curtain for rookie, Wentz, to be at the helm in the NFL’s most passionate city, Philadelphia.
On Sept. 5, Wentz was named the starter and looks to lead one of the NFL’s most fast-paced offenses.
With Philadelphia in desperate need of a quarterback, fans look to Wentz to revitalize a stagnant team. Wentz was tested in a trial by fire as he started his first NFL game against the Browns.
Wentz showed leadership, football IQ, agility and great decision making as he marched into Cleveland and brought home a win, 29-10.
The rookie quarterback exponentially impressed his peers, receiving praise from wide receiver, Jordan Matthews. Wentz finished the game with 22 completed passes out of 37, with 278 yards passing and two passing touchdowns, which boosted his quarterback rating to 101.
After throwing one touchdown to Jordan Matthews midway through the first quarter, Wentz connected deep on a beautiful 35-yard pass to wide receiver Nelson Agholor nearing the end of the third quarter.
This performance is one to get Eagles fans excited about as a new era has begun in Philadelphia.
The Eagles have had a drought at the quarterback position since Donovan McNabb left Philadelphia in 2009.
Michael Vick’s reemergence in the NFL in 2009 did not pan out well as he was peppered with injuries during his stint in Philadelphia.
Nick Foles did not get a chance to prove his prowess before he was traded to the Rams.
Wentz now steps into the spotlight for the Eagles and will have to impress the NFL’s most intense fans by succeeding in the NFC East.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.