The 2020 football season hasn’t been easy on anyone, especially not veterans getting to know their rookie teammates. Not for lack of effort.
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz revealed to Philly reporters earlier this week how much the shortened offseason, mired in weird COVID-19 protocols and social distancing, affected his relationship with Jalen Hurts. Normally, players are thrust together in meeting rooms and make it a point to hang out outside the team facilities. That just wasn’t on the table as a deadly pandemic gripped the world.
Instead, Wentz was relegated to Zoom calls and text messages in his dealings with Hurts. He and the Eagles’ second-round pick just didn’t get much one-on-one time. As a result, the two are very much still getting to know each other three weeks into the season.
“It’s been a good relationship, obviously the summer was tough getting to know him or any of the other new guys just with all the protocols and it still is to some extent,” Wentz said. “Just because you really can’t get together with guys outside the building too much, a lot of different things going on.”
There had been early talk of Wentz possibly being irritated by the team taking a rookie quarterback over another skill player (for example, WR Van Jefferson or RB JK Dobbins were available). Those rumors were mere speculation based on misinterpreted comments from GM Howie Roseman. Fast forward six months and the relationship appears strong.
Here is Carson Wentz talking about playing alongside Jalen Hurts. Regrets not having a normal offseason to build better chemistry but enjoying what he brings to the offense. #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
Hurts made his NFL debut in Week 2 and has seen six offensive snaps in two games, including rushing for a first down against Cincinnati. He has taken on the decoy role, causing confusion and wreaking havoc on defenses on plays where Wentz has been split out as a receiver.
“It’s cool to get him out there,” Wentz said. “It puts stress on the defense when we’re both out on the field and creates some different views for the defense and kind of stretches them out. Like I said, it’s been good and it’s been effective for us.”
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Wentz ‘Aware’ of Hurts’ Presence, Added Pressure
Former Eagles signal-caller Ron Jaworski recently speculated that Wentz might be “feeling the pressure” of having Hurts sit behind him. He has to at least be “aware” of it.
With every inaccurate throw and each bad interception, the calls for the rookie grow louder from the fan base. Jaworski can relate having lived it alongside Randall Cunningham.
“I lived that situation. I still remember draft day: ‘Oh, the Eagles drafted Randall Cunningham in the second round. OK, the clock is ticking!’ You know that, so you know that you have to raise your level of (play), and there’s an added amount of pressure,” Jaworski said, via CBS Sports. “This is four years after I’m the league MVP, the highest-paid player in the NFL, all of a sudden they draft a quarterback. Everyone has a shelf life, and you begin to feel that pressure. I can’t say to what degree Carson feels the pressure, but he’s aware of it.”
Ron Jaworski says Jalen Hurts could be in Carson Wentz’s head: ‘He’s aware’ of the pressure
For the record, Wentz never won NFL MVP honors but he was certainly in the conversation for the league’s top honor in 2017. That honor went to Tom Brady and then Nick Foles earned Super Bowl MVP while leading Wentz’s team to the franchise’s first-ever Lombardi Trophy. So, yes, the added mental “pressure” has to be real.
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Eagles’ Carson Wentz Talks ‘Tough Summer’ Working with Jalen Hurts