Getty Eagles franchise QB Carson Wentz is out to prove his doubters wrong in his fifth year in the NFL.
Former Patriots Pro Bowl center Damien Woody has been predicting Carson Wentz’s demise since September. Back then, he was merely calling for Jalen Hurts to get in the game. Now he’s taking his Wentz criticism to nuclear levels by pinning all the blame for the Eagles’ early-season struggles on their struggling franchise quarterback.
Woody, who retired from the NFL in 2011, is a frequent contributor to ESPN’s “First Take” show where he provides somewhat controversial hot takes. On Wednesday, the 12-year NFL veteran gave a scathingly honest opinion on Wentz’s performance through eight weeks in 2020. Wentz is no better than Jameis Winston and he might be worse. And it’s not a totally unfair comparison.
“Carson Wentz is not a good quarterback,” Woody told co-host Mike Greenberg. “You know, when you think about the Philadelphia, and I’m putting that lightly, he looks like a scrub out there. And that shouldn’t be what Carson Wentz is all about because he’s too talented of a player to be playing the way he’s playing.”
Woody continued: “And the thing that drives you crazy when you watch him is he’ll do a spectacular play and then he’ll follow it right up with a couple of bone-headed plays, and it’s like, ‘What are you doing?’ And in a division the Philadelphia Eagles clearly should win, in my opinion, the quarterback is holding them back. The quarterback is clearly holding them back.”
Woody went on to say that he believes Hurts should be inserted as the starting quarterback before it’s too late. It’s something he has been harping on since before the season started, according to Greenberg. Time will tell if the Eagles listen.
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Wentz ‘Smartest QB’ Eagles Have Ever Had
While those outside the organization continue to pile on the Wentz hate, those inside it are rushing to his defense. According to former Eagles great Brian Westbrook, the kid from North Dakota is the “smartest quarterback” the Eagles have ever had. Westbrook cited sources within the franchise for making that bold claim during a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Adam Lefkoe.
“This was a consensus throughout the entire organization, he’s the smartest quarterback we’ve ever had,” Westbrook told Lefkoe. “And when you talk about football, put ’em on the board, he can do anything. He can tell you Cover 2, he can tell you … he passes all those tests.”
“Carson Wentz is the smartest QB we’ve ever had.” — Eagles front office, according to @36westbrook
So what’s the problem? Westbrook relayed a story about his dogs innately chasing neighborhood cats. It’s a tough habit to break.
“Well, he thinks he’s a gunslinger and he makes terrible decisions,” Westbrook said. “A big part of the quarterback position is your decision-making … for Carson Wentz, he thinks he’s this guy that has to be a gunslinger and go win every single game, and I’m telling you right now that you cannot win in the NFL like that.”
Westbrook, of course, is a beloved Eagle and holds close ties to the franchise. He ranks third all-time in rushing yards (5,995) and 14th in receiving yards (3,790). He also scored 66 career touchdowns in midnight green. His opinion matters.
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