NFL-Deja vu for reigning champion Eagles as QB Wentz's season in doubt


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 14-12-2018 21:49 IST | Created: 14-12-2018 21:33 IST

With quarterback Carson Wentz facing a possible season-ending injury the Philadelphia Eagles may turn again to the man who stepped in brilliantly last season and led the team to their maiden Super Bowl triumph.

Wentz, who late last year suffered a season-ending ACL injury, missed practice this week and has fractured vertebrae according to media reports that was only discovered this week.

He could be shut down for the year with the team's playoff hopes on thin ice.

"Carson, he's going to handle it like a champ. He's one of the best quarterbacks in the league and he's the best young quarterback in the league," said Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews.

"He knows who he is, he knows what he brings to the table and he knows what he means to this team. It just sucks that he can't play right now."

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said on Friday that the 25-year-old quarterback is a doubt for Sunday's game against the host Los Angeles Rams.

Should Wentz not play, the starting job will go to Nick Foles, who took over late last season and steered the Eagles to an upset Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots and was named Most Valuable Player in the process.

"Nick is the Super Bowl MVP. He'll be all right," said Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins.

Wentz, who was planning a return to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the first time since suffering his season-ending injury there last year, missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

If Foles gets the call, he will be taking over a very different Eagles squad than he did last season.

When Foles stepped in a year ago, the Eagles boasted an 11-2 record and were well on their way to securing a division title and home-field advantage in the conference playoffs.

But now the Eagles are 6-7 with an offence that is a shadow of the well-oiled machine from last season. It would need a lot of things to go their way over their final three games to secure a playoff berth.

Foles has not thrown a pass in a game since the second week of the season while Wentz was still recovering but his teammates have full confidence in him being up to the task.

"I just want everyone to know that everyone's got full confidence in the guy," said Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. "We just want him to be himself." 

(With inputs from agencies.)

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