From the outside, it might look like there's been some regression in Carson Wentz's rehab from a torn ACL and LCL.
Doug Pederson says that's not the case.
Wentz stood with a baseball cap on his head for most of Friday's 10-10-10 practice because the team did mostly 11-on-11s and no 7-on-7s. The Eagles haven't let Wentz participate in an 11-on-11 drill since Saturday.
So today was the fifth straight day of practice where Wentz didn't participate in 11-on-11 full-team drills.
"What you see out here is considered backwards," Pederson said. "What we see in the building and what he does with our strength and conditioning staff is still progressive. It doesn't have to be every snap, every football situation go forward, you know what I mean? What you see out here is one small tidbit of what he's doing collectively inside this building."
Pederson stressed again, as he did earlier this week, that there have been no setbacks in Wentz's recovery. He again said he saw what he needed to from Wentz last week and they're simply not going to rush the quarterback back into action.
During last Saturday's practice, there was one play where a couple linemen came close to Wentz and even brushed into his leg. Earlier this week, Pederson said that play didn't change the plan.
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But those types of unnecessary dangers - bodies flying around him - are reason enough to hold Wentz back in the first week of August.
"That's part of it," Pederson said. "That's what we saw last week. Right now is not the time to risk that. It's all a part of his plan and his progression."
The Eagles are less than five weeks away from their season opener against the Falcons and Wentz has continually said his goal is to play in that Week 1 matchup. The last hurdle for him to get over is to be cleared for contact; that hasn't happened yet.
Pederson was asked at what point the team needs to worry about rust for Wentz if he continues to miss practice reps with the team. Pederson pointed at Nick Foles, who missed training camp and sat most of the season before leading the Eagles through the playoffs.
"Took some time, but (Foles) played extremely well," Pederson said. "Carson is out here working his tail off every single day. He's throwing individual routes. There's going to come a time where we game plan and we're game-plan specific. If he gets a chance to be in there, then we work. But for now, 7-on-7s and the things that we're doing with the starters and Carson, and all of that is preparing him for that day we cross that bridge."
