A torn ACL isn't going to keep Carson Wentz away from the Eagles.
Less than a week after having surgery to repair his torn left ACL, Wentz was back at the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday morning. It was the first time he was back in the quarterback meeting room since his injury in Los Angeles on Dec. 10.
"Obviously, first and foremost, it's about his rehab," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said Tuesday afternoon. "But that's a tight-knit room. In these rooms, players are close. The three of those guys are really close. First and foremost, take care of rehab. Second, support Nick (Foles) and Nate (Sudfeld)."
It shouldn't be much of a surprise that Wentz is staying involved. Last Wednesday, just after his surgery, he FaceTimed with Foles and Sudfeld and asked about some new plays. According to Sudfeld, Wentz was still loopy from the anesthesia (see story).
Because of his lack of mobility for now, Wentz probably won't be on the sidelines for games anytime soon, but he's going to be around the team as often as he can. He's just the latest injured leader — after Darren Sproles, Jordan Hicks, Jason Peters and Chris Maragos — to stay involved after a season-ending injury.
Reich said he still remembers how involved Jim Kelly was in 1992 after Kelly suffered a knee injury that forced him out of action to start the playoffs. Reich was the backup and led the Bills to two playoff wins in Kelly's absence. Twenty-six years later, Reich said that support from Kelly still means a lot to him.
"And I know that's the kind of support Carson is giving to Nick and to Nate," Reich said.
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While Wentz was back in the quarterback meeting room for the first time on Tuesday, it wasn't exactly business as usual. After all, he's now in the room as an extra voice, but he's no longer the starter. The dynamic has to change. The week of preparation is all about getting Foles ready to play and Sudfeld ready to step in if necessary.
Wentz is basically just an extra coach now.
"He knows that Nick's the guy and that's the way it has to be," Reich said. "The great thing is that it's so comfortable in there, such a good dynamic. He's not gonna ever be a wallflower. He's gonna talk and we're gonna laugh and he's going to give a couple ideas. But it's a really good dynamic."