Back in April 2016, Philadelphia Eagles fans were introduced to Carson Wentz, a quarterback who played at North Dakota State University. Before the draft process, nobody knew who Carson Wentz was, given that he played at a very small school. However, after three incredible performances against the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the rookie, Carson Wentz has become a household name in the NFL.
Carson Wentz has become so popular that he has the number one selling jersey in the NFL, surpassing all of the big names like Andrew Luck, Odell Beckham, and even the legendary Tom Brady.
The summer feels like a long time ago when looking back at Carson Wentz. He’s got the Eagles on an undefeated start and after the latest afternoon brilliance coming in a 34-3 trouncing of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’s come a long way.
But let’s go back in time for a moment in the early part of training camp.
Training camp was a time where nobody had high expectations for Carson Wentz and the Eagles. They appeared to be rebuilding, and Wentz would be the stepping stone to a bright future.
It was everybody’s initial thought that Carson Wentz wasn’t ready yet and needed to be developed after starring at a small football school where the average fan attendance of a game was 12,000 people. It was clear, this guy wasn’t ready for the bright lights. Therefore, the Eagles plan was to sit Carson Wentz for a year and have him learn the system while having Sam Bradford be the starter.
The fans were eager to see Carson Wentz on the field but they would have to wait a while to see that until one day, on August 30, a tragedy occurred—for Vikings fans anyway.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a dislocated knee and a torn ACL when he went down during a noncontact drill at practice, ending his 2016 season. The Vikings had a need for a quarterback and Vikings General Manager, Rick Spielman, had his sights on Eagles quarterback, Sam Bradford.
On September 3, a miracle happened, the Philadelphia Eagles orchestrated a blockbuster trade that sent Sam Bradford to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for multiple draft picks, which meant that the fans of Philadelphia were finally going to see Carson Wentz take the field.
Just like that, the guy who was set to keep the seat warm for Wentz was gone. And just like that, a rookie from North Dakota, who took 38 preseason snaps was thrown into the fire as the starting quarterback.
After the trade, football experts everywhere were laughing at the idea that the Eagles were going to start a rookie quarterback who came from a school where the competition and the speed of the game was suspect at best.
But three weeks later, no one is laughing.
Three games into the season, Carson Wentz is graded as the number one quarterback in the league by pro football focus. He’s thrown for 769 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions, leading the Eagles to a 3-0 record.
Wentz’s passer rating stands at the top of the league at 103.8, surpassing the top quarterbacks in the league like Cam Newton and Aaron Rodgers. Carson Wentz’s season has been remarkable and Eagles fans everywhere are impressed and excited for Wentz’s future.
Collin Murray, 19, from Fairless Hills, computer science major, spoke on what he’s been most impressed about Carson Wentz, “his mobility has definitely impressed me the most, not just how he runs, but the mobility in the pocket really makes it hard on the opposing defensive line.”
Chad Dingman, 20, from Yardley, journalism major, spoke on Carson Wentz’s performance, “he’s captivated everyone in the city with his electrifying performance and domination. He reminds me of Ben Roethlisberger in terms of size, but he’s more mobile than Big Ben, he’s got a little of Aaron Rodgers in him.”
Chad isn’t the only person who compared Carson Wentz to Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. Tyler Watto, 19, from Fairless Hills, business major, said he believes that Carson Wentz is going to be better that Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger, “I think he looks like Rodgers and Big Ben when he plays, but I think he’s further along than they were when they started their careers. I honestly think he’s better than those guys right now.”
It’s no secret that fans in Philadelphia are excited about Carson Wentz, and yes they should probably tone down their expectations for Wentz and the Eagles, but there hasn’t been a more captivating athlete in Philadelphia than Carson Wentz.