A bit of good news for the Eagles as they prepare to get back on the field as a team for OTAs on Tuesday.
They're going to have QB1.
#Eagles QB Carson Wentz is progressing well from his back injury from 2018 and sources say he has no limitations for on-field drills during OTAs, beginning tomorrow. The team will be smart with him, of course, but he's expected to be involved in the majority of all work. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 20, 2019
Just a week and a half ago, head coach Doug Pederson refused to say whether or not Wentz would be practicing at OTAs, but did say he was encouraged by the quarterback's progress.
It seemed like a good sign that Wentz was scheduled to speak to reporters on the opening day of OTAs. Turns out, that was right. We'll hear from Wentz tomorrow.
Back in mid-April, Wentz said his goal was to be ready for OTAs, but revealed that the stress fracture in his back was not yet fully healed. If he's going to be back on the field tomorrow, you can bet the Eagles wouldn't let him out there unless that back was 100 percent. They certainly wouldn't rush him.
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We first learned of Wentz's stress fracture on Dec. 14, but it seems likely he had been dealing with it long before then. In mid-December, Pederson said the injury was expected to heal in three months, but it took a little longer than that.
If Wentz is truly healthy and will be able to take most - or all - of the Eagles' snaps this spring and summer, it'll be a big boost for the franchise quarterback, who missed the first two games of 2018 as he recovered from a torn ACL and LCL. After the 2018 season was over, Wentz said he never got back all the explosion in his left knee. He knew it would take longer than one season. He's never been able to determine if the knee injury led to the stress fracture in his back.
The injury-prone label is something that bothers Wentz but he won't be able to shed it until he proves he can stay on the field. He played a full season as a rookie in 2016, but missed the playoff runs in 2017 and 2018 as Nick Foles led the Eagles both times. Now, Foles is gone and it's Wentz's show.
While Wentz is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract, the Eagles have already exercised his fifth-year option in 2020 as a backup plan. There's a very real chance Wentz and the Eagles work out a long-term deal this offseason. His being healthy could push that along.
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