Saturday wasn’t a good day of hunting for Carson Wentz, but it was a significant day in his NFL career.
Wentz was hunting geese when he got a call from Eagles coach Doug Pederson telling him that he would be the team’s starting quarterback with Sam Bradford headed to the Vikings in a trade. The trade came as a surprise and the move to Wentz runs counter to the Eagles’ plans for his rookie season, but it didn’t throw Wentz for a loop.
A rib injury limited him to one preseason appearance and leaves some questions about whether his play will be good enough for the pro level. He’s not lacking the requisite self-confidence for the job, though.
“The whole time all along, I was just getting ready for whenever this time would come,” Wentz said, via Philly.com. “I knew I was ready. I knew I was taking the mental reps, being out the last couple of weeks, even going out to the first preseason game. I was developing at a fast pace and now it’s here. I’m confident in myself, I’m confident in this team. I’m excited for it. ... I just knew ever since OTAs this summer. That preseason game I walked away feeling extra confident with it. It wasn’t pretty by any means, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed or anything. I just felt very confident with it, and now it’s here.”
Wentz only landed one goose during Saturday’s hunting trip and the football equivalent of that may be in the cards over the next few months as he makes up for lost time this summer against live fire from opposing defenses. His confidence in himself should help through that process, especially if others find reason to express doubt about the route the Eagles have chosen.