- A few years ago, Carson Wentz looked like a lock for MVP before a knee injury ended his season early.
- After dealing with injuries the last few years, he doesn’t look anything like his near-MVP self.
- His career is looking more and more like another former first-round quarterback. If that remains the case, the end could be near for Wentz.
When the Philadelphia Eagles made Carson Wentz the No. 2 selection of the 2012 NFL Draft, people expected great things of the North Dakota State quarterback. During his sophomore season in 2017, it looked like he would follow through on that promise. He led the team to an 11-2 record, looked fantastic along the way, and was considered a lock for MVP.
But then he suffered a season-ending ACL injury in his left knee. It was a devastating end to an excellent season for Wentz, but it confirmed what the Eagles thought when they drafted him. Carson Wentz was the real deal. The Eagles had found their franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future.
So, they picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract and signed him to a four-year, $128 million extension.
Fast forward to Week Four of the 2020 season, and his team is 0-2-1, the offense is one of the worst in the NFL (19.7 points/game; 27th in the league), and Wentz is getting booed in a stadium without fans.
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What in the world happened to the guy who looked like an MVP three short years ago? Was that magical 2017 season an aberration? Are fans now seeing the real Carson Wentz?
No, not at all. Wentz’s career is following the same trajectory as another highly touted first-round draft pick—former Indianapolis Colts star, Andrew Luck.
The Andrew Luck Comparison
PFF’s Steve Palazzolo recently posted a tweet comparing the Went to Andrew Luck:
But the comparison lies deeper than struggling after injuries. Both were highly-touted quarterbacks out of college and taken early in the first round (No. 1 and No. 2). It didn’t take long for both to look like they were going to live up to the hype.
For Luck, the beginning of the end came in his fourth season when he lost about half of it to injuries. He signed his mega-extension before the following season and then didn’t look right all year because of a shoulder injury. The ’17 season was lost to injury, looked good in ’18, and then retired because he was tired of always dealing with injuries.
Is the End Near For Carson Wentz?
As bad as Wentz has looked, many have wondered if he is trying to play through another injury. He did have a groin injury towards the end of training camp, but Wentz and head coach Doug Pederson have downplayed the seriousness of that injury. But it’s safe to say that he doesn’t look quite right.
Good quarterbacks don’t go from being among the best to the worst for no apparent reason. However, that appears to be what’s going on:
The speed at which he’s spiraled down would make sense if it were injury-related. If he were to admit it and take the time he needs to recover, he could salvage his career. But if he doesn’t, he could be pushed aside for Jalen Hurts.
In the process, his career, as well as Doug Pederson’s, would be over.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.