Eagles head coach Doug Pederson didn’t comment about the hit by Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney on quarterback Carson Wentz immediately after last Sunday’s game because he said he had not seen it.
The NFL is looking into the hit, which came to the back of Wentz’s head as he went down at the end of a run in the first quarter, and Pederson said at a Wednesday press conference that he’s had a chance to watch it as well. Pederson said he thought it was “possible” that it was an illegal hit and that it was “unfortunate” that Wentz was injured, but added that it is a “part of our game.”
Pederson was also asked if he thinks officials give Wentz the same respect as other quarterbacks.
“I do. Listen, all mobile quarterbacks, they become runners at some point. That’s just kind of the give-and-take with these guys,” Pederson said. “We’ve encouraged Carson to use his legs when he can, and at that particular time, it was a broken play and he was making a play. It was unfortunate, the hit, but I do think that once they become runners, it becomes different. That’s just the way the league is.”
Pederson said that Wentz is doing well and that he thinks he would have been able to play in a divisional round game had the Eagles been able to advance last weekend.