One of the reasons why quarterback Carson Wentz was so valuable to the Eagles last season was because of his ability to keep plays alive long enough to make big gains, although that ability comes with a downside illustrated by his season-ending torn ACL.
Wentz was hurt on a play that saw him get hit by two Rams defenders while trying to run into the end zone and finding a way to avoid future absences would be a plus for the Eagles moving forward. Wentz has already said that he doesn’t plan to change his playing style, but coach Doug Pederson said recently that it will be a topic of conversation heading into the 2018 season.
“I’m going to sit down and talk to him,” Pederson said, via Philly.com. “Longevity is everything in this business. Learn from the best. Learn from Tom Brady, who got hurt early in his career. And learn from guys that have done that and yet still went on to have great careers and long careers.”
Former Eagles offensive coordinator and current Colts head coach Frank Reich said past attempts to broach the subject with Wentz “definitely went in one ear and out the other,” but thinks couching it as “you don’t want to hurt the team” is a way to get the message across in the future. Whatever the Eagles wind up doing on that front, they’ll be walking a fine line between protecting a valued asset and making sure they don’t take away what makes him so valuable in the first place.