Getty Eagles coach Doug Pederson gets input from franchise QB Carson Wentz on a play-call.
There have been many different interpretations of how Doug Pederson answered a series of questions regarding his franchise quarterback after Brett Favre’s scathing criticism. The Eagles head coach defended Carson Wentz three times on Wednesday, saying “Carson’s our guy, bottom line, end of story.”
According to a few talking heads, Pederson didn’t do enough to erase any doubt that he lobbied for Wentz over Nick Foles. It seemed like a pretty cut-and-dry declaration of support for Wentz. However, Pederson’s decision to add “I respect his opinion” to his statement seemed to validate Favre’s claim to some.
Greg Jennings, a two-time Pro Bowl receiver and former teammate of Favre in Green Bay, appeared on FSI’s “First Things First” to sound off on the so-called flub.
“I was blown away. I was simply blown away,” Jennings said. “This is one of those things where you have to completely throw his opinion out the door and say, ‘No, I completely disagree with Brett Favre.’ That should have been his response. So basically what he said was the only reason we kept Carson Wentz over Nick Foles is because we spent a draft pick on him and we had to give him a chance.”
“Basically Doug Pederson said, ‘The only reason we kept Carson Wentz over Nick Foles was bc we spent a draft pick on him.’ If I’m hearing that as a player, I’m completely disgusted. But it fuels me, too. This is bad for the Eagles.” — @GregJennings
Jennings continued: “If I’m hearing that as a player, like I’m completely disgusted. But it fuels me, too, as well. And it lets me know where he stands, too, but this is bad. This is completely bad for the Eagles and Doug because you can’t lead a team when you question the helm.”
Doesn’t it feel as if everyone is unfairly jumping on Pederson and Wentz right now? Read the transcripts and feel free to interpret however you want.
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Wentz’s College Coach: ‘Never Bet Against That Kid’
Maybe not everyone is piling hate on the Wentz Wagon. Chris Klieman is now the coach at Kansas State but he ran North Dakota State when Wentz was there driving up his draft stock. He threw for 1,651 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games during an injury-plagued senior season, highlighted by a fifth straight FCS title for the Bison. Klieman, better than anybody, knows what Wentz is capable of doing.
“The stage is not going to be too big and he’s not going to get on social media and read all of that stuff,” Klieman told SportsRado 94WIP’s Jon Marks & Ike Reese. “He’s going to do what he knows is best to get himself prepared every Sunday. I would never bet against that kid. He’s going to end up winning the division and making another playoff run because he’s just that kind of competitor.”
Carson Wentz’s old coach at North Dakota State, Chris Klieman, will join @MarksReeseWIP today at 3pm! #On94WIP🎙️
Listen: t.co/gkUilhZvnU
And all those critics saying Wentz is too stubborn to coach, a guy who likes to call his own plays over what the coaching staff tells him to do — well, Klieman disagreed whole-heartedly.
“He’s the furthest thing from difficult to coach,” Klieman said, via SportsRadio 94WIP. “Do you want a guy that wants to win? Do you want a guy that wants to be a perfectionist? Do you want a guy that demands everything out of himself? That’s not poor coaching — or poor attitude, or discipline — that’s a guy that wants to be the best, wants to win.”
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