The Philadelphia Eagles made it clear that they didn’t have all that much faith in Carson Wentz when they drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round last year, but general manager Howie Roseman insists it was nothing personal.
During an appearance on the WIP morning show on Wednesday, Roseman was asked about the Eagles’ decision to draft Hurts 53rd overall in 2020. He gave a blunt response about Wentz’s inability to stay on the field.
“We loved Carson, but we played four (six) playoff games, and we’ve needed our backup quarterback and all of them,” Roseman said, via Chris Franklin of NJ Advance Media. “It’s too important of a position not to have that. I think that just thinking about where we were at the moment, and I think it was the right thing to do. It’s a hard decision, but it was the right thing to do.”
Wentz tore his ACL late in the 2017 season and fractured a vertebrae in his back midway through the 2018 campaign.
Roseman noted that the San Francisco 49ers find themselves in a similar situation. They took a quarterback third overall this season even after Jimmy Garoppolo led them to the Super Bowl two years ago. Niners GM John Lynch has spoken openly about Garoppolo’s injury history.
There was some speculation this offseason that the Eagles don’t believe in Hurts and were looking to trade for a quarterback. However, the hype surrounding the former Alabama and Oklahoma star has been rapidly building ahead of the season.
If Wentz becomes a star with the Indianapolis Colts, it might sting a little for Roseman. As of now, however, there is no reason to question the his decision to draft Hurts.
More must-reads: