Deion Sanders has never been one to hold back his opinion. He was a flamboyant trash-talker during his playing days and now the NFL legend gets paid for his expert commentary. So people listened when “Prime Time” went on record saying Carson Wentz isn’t the future of the Eagles.
They listened even more intently after Sanders revealed he had heard those words from Wentz’s teammates. Sanders, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011, left his cushy TV gig at NFL Network last August to accept the head-coaching job at Jackson State. But Sanders still tells it as he sees it and his vast network of NFL sources runs deep.
In a recent appearance on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take, Sanders was pretty blunt about his feeling on Wentz “not being the guy” in Philadelphia. In fact, the former Cowboys cornerback cited “talking to other athletes” to confirm it.
“What I have been telling you all year from Day 1, honestly,” Sanders said. “And this is not an ‘I told you so’ situation, this is an athlete knowing another athlete, and an athlete like myself talking to other athletes that I know that is there, this is not the guy. This is not the guy.”
So, would Sanders sit Wentz for second-round pick Jalen Hurts?
“You have some guys in the locker room saying ‘Hey man, this ain’t working partner.’ You could at least give the other kid a shot because this ain’t working,” Sanders said. “He is not the guy. You can’t just try to justify it because you made a mistake and paid him a ton of money.”
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Doug Pederson: ‘Mistakes Have to Stop’
Doug Pederson often talks about messaging this time of year and what he needs to do to get Wentz back on track. The Eagles quarterback has struggled mightily in 2020. Everyone knows that.
Wentz leads the NFL in interceptions (14), fumbles (10), sacks (40) while ranking almost dead-last in QBR (48.4), QB Rating (73.3), completion percentage (58.4) and yards per pass attempt (6.2). It’s been a never-ending nightmare.
Most turnovers in NFL this season:
1. Broncos: 23
2. Cowboys: 21
3. Carson Wentz: 18*
4. 49ers: 17
4. Football Team: 17
6. Vikings: 16
6 Jaguars: 16
8. Rams: 15
8. Patriots: 15
8. Giants: 15
*Eagles have 20 overall
However, Pederson has tried to keep his young quarterback poised and confident as best he can. He keeps reminding him of his leadership status while emphasizing the mistakes need to stop.
“I continue to talk to Carson and continue to talk to all the quarterbacks and still direct and lead the offense and lead the team in a way that everybody has to understand,” Pederson said. “Coaches and players have to understand that the things that we’re doing, the mistakes that we are making have to stop.”
Carson Wentz responds to Doug Pederson’s “hemming and hawing” over QB debate: “We haven’t had that conversation. I’m doing everything in my power to prepare for Monday night.” #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
While the head coach wouldn’t go into specific detail about their conversations, he indicated Wentz understands the gravity of the situation. Pederson also explained that the messaging doesn’t just come from him but the assistant coaches — guys like passing-game coordinator Press Taylor and senior offensive consultant Rich Scangarello — are chirping in Wentz’s ear as well.
“Even though the focus is on me and the quarterback, I think there’s — and we’ve talked about this a lot — I think that each position group can also have specific messaging as well,” Pederson said. “That we’re all doing the same to improve and to get better each day, each week.”
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Ex-Cowboys Legend Joins Eagles QB Debate: ‘This Is Not the Guy’