Getty Carson Wentz #11 of the Washington Commanders (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz admitted that Sunday’s Week 3 matchup is going to be full of “mixed emotions.” Wentz isn’t playing the revenge card, preferring to look back fondly on his time in Philadelphia where he built a family and became a man.
The player selected No. 2 overall in 2016 — a guy the Eagles surrendered a king’s ransom to trade up and draft — is trying to create a new legacy in D.C while forgetting his one-year exile to Indianapolis. Wentz sounded much more introspective when he met with the media on Wednesday, admitting at one point that he could have been a better person and teammate in Philly.
“There’s always things I look back on like, ‘Man, I could have been better here.’ I could have been a better person as a teammate, you know, lots of things, that you do take for granted,” Wentz told reporters, via ESPN’s John Keim. “So I definitely thank God for the experiences that I’ve had even if sometimes they’re dark or they’re not how I envisioned them to be. But I think it’s allowed me to grow as a person and I’m thankful for that.”
It’s an interesting comment since Wentz had been blasted for being “selfish” in both his previous stops. He refused to get vaccinated last year which rubbed Colts management the wrong way, then reports surfaced he was giving off a “bad leadership vibe.”
Carson Wentz on playing in front of the Philly fans: “It was a lot of fun, it was a lot of fun. Obviously, we had a lot of success there, you know, winning the Super Bowl up there was pretty special, being a part of that was pretty cool.” #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
Talking specifically about his departure from Philly, Wentz brought up his faith in God.
“Anytime in life you get thrown a curveball like that, things change,” Wentz said. “Anytime you think you know what life’s going to look like sometimes I think God is up there saying ‘I’m in control.’ And, for me, as a man of faith, I think that’s where my faith kicks in. Saying, ‘Okay, God, what do you have next for me?’ I definitely cherish my time that I had up there [in Philly]. It was a wild ride in many ways.”
Wentz Expects to Hear Eagles Fans at FedEx Field
Despite Sunday being a home game for the Commanders, there is sure to be a huge midnight green contingent there. FedEx Field is only 2.5 hours away and Eagles fans have been known to travel well. (For example: Philly Sports Trips has organized The Ultimate Bus Trip). Wentz isn’t naive to the fact that the stadium could see a massive Philly invasion.
“It’ll be fun. I do know it is exciting playing at home here,” Wentz said. “Week 1 was a lot of fun being at home at FedEx Field. And I’m sure the Eagles fans will travel well like they always do but hopefully, we’re still dominating the stands there. But, either way, it’ll be fun.”
Carson Wentz treating Sunday like just another game. (Good luck with that!): “I know the emotion that goes into it from the other side so I’m excited for it. But, again, I try not to make the game bigger than it is. Every week is a big week in this league.” #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly
As far as Eagles fans go, there are no hard feelings. All love from Wentz.
“It’s quite the city, quite the fan base, quite the experience,” Wentz said of Eagles fans. “I’ll definitely cherish my time there but being on the other end now it’ll look a little different hearing them. But it was a fun couple of years while I was up there.”
Jalen Hurts Focused on Washington’s Front 7
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was more interested in commenting on Washington’s pass rush than taking a trip down memory lane. The Commanders come in averaging 2.5 sacks per game, highlighted by defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. Defensive end Montez Sweat is another guy to watch.
Ron Rivera mentioned a few players who had good games defensively — Jon Allen, Daron Payne, Bobby McCain, James Smith-Williams and Jamin Davis. Davis did a nice job on a number of plays, whether blitzing, vs. the run or in coverage. Responded well after tough 1st game.
Hurts was very complimentary of the entire group. Good team. Good defense.
“They fly to the ball. They fly to the ball,” Hurts said. “They’re very disruptive, obviously those guys on the front seven are really good. They play really good ball. A division opponent. We just have to be ready for a good team, another good defense, and front seven.”