The firing of Doug Pederson apparently hasn’t repaired the relationship between the Eagles and quarterback Carson Wentz.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing two unnamed NFL personnel sources, reports that the Eagles are “close to trading” Wentz.
The Colts continue to be the top potential destination for Wentz, who would be reunited with former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Colts G.M. Chris Ballard tiptoed around the topic on Friday. The Bears also have been named as a potential destination.
Per the report, the Eagles “have placed a high asking price on Wentz.” The fact that Wentz reportedly prefers to leave the Eagles could make it hard for the Eagles to get the kind of package they’d prefer.
Wentz’s contract contains millions in fully-guaranteed money; as of March 19, the figure exceeds $40 million. Thus, there’s a Jared Goff-style component to the move. The Eagles obviously don’t want to posture the move as an Osweiler/Goff-style trade, since they surely hope to maximize the return for Wentz.
Still, the Eagles realize a tangible benefit by clearing Wentz’s contract off the books — even if the cap charge for doing so exceeds $33.8 million.
It seems like the signs are pointing toward a trade. The Colts continue to make the most sense, given both the connection between Wentz and Reich and the fact that the Colts have a playoff team that, if Wentz can perform at a high level, can become a Super Bowl team.