Carson Wentz is a physically imposing quarterback. At 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, Wentz has the size and strength to run over most second- and third-level defenders that step in front of him. That doesn’t mean he should be doing so.
The Eagles traded a boatload of picks to acquire Wentz in the draft, and they would prefer not to lose him to an injury caused by a lack of awareness. Wentz has taken 13 hits in the pocket this season, and that doesn’t include shots he’s taken when scrambling for additional yardage.
By all accounts, that’s far too many for a rookie quarterback – or any QB – to be taking. And the coaching staff has made it known they’re not pleased.
“There’s a couple hits he shouldn’t have taken,” offensive coordinator Frank Reich said, via ESPN.
“Those ones on the sideline. You just can’t do that. And he knows that.
Coach, we’ve all talked to him about that. You just can’t do that.”
Wentz has looked undeniably impressive so far, leading the Eagles to a 2-0 record with no turnovers. He’s the first rookie to do that since the merger, and thanks to him, the Eagles are borderline Super Bowl contenders.
He’s learning from his carelessness when it comes to taking hits, it’s just taking him a bit of time to get used to sliding and avoiding tacklers.
"You know, in college, we ran the
ball. I had designed runs. So you kind of go into running back mode. And
here it's not so much the case. So I'm still learning how to protect
myself," he said. "I don't want to take those hits by any means. I'm
still learning, and I can tell myself over and over again but it's one
of those things, when you're in the heat of battle, I almost have to
keep reprogramming myself."
Wentz isn’t your typical dual-threat quarterback, but he is more
athletic than most players at his position. Like Andrew Luck, though, he
needs to stay out of harm’s way. It landed Luck on the shelf for most
of last season, and if that were to happen to Wentz, the Eagles would be
significantly worse.
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