Brett Favre vs. Carson Wentz: Eagles coach Doug Pederson sees similarities

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This is not something the Bears and Bears fans will like hearing.

Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson spent seven of his 10 NFL seasons as Brett Favre’s understudy with the Green Bay Packers in two separate stints (1996-98, 2001-04). What that gave him was a template for what a great NFL quarterback looks, plays and acts like.

So when the Eagles decided to trade away Sam Bradford and install rookie and No. 2-overall draft pick Carson Wentz as their starting quarterback, it was in part because Pederson and the Philadelphia organization felt they had in Wentz the stuff of a franchise quarterback.

Some of that perspective lay in what Pederson learned playing with Favre – and some of the same things he already is seeing in Wentz.

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“One of the things is just [Wentz’s] abilities to make plays when the pocket’s not clean, when he has to move, his vision of the field,” Pederson said. “He’s got good speed for a big guy. And then the arm strength.

“Probably the biggest difference, Brett was more of a gunslinger, kind of [drill] it in there and [rely] on arm strength. With Carson, it’s a little more calculated with him. But at the same time you see that same kind of grit, determination, toughness that I saw playing with Brett.”

Parallels are imprecise; in this case, Favre had already played the Bears twice before Wentz was even born. Both Favre and Wentz were/will be 23 years old in their first Bears games.

But just for purposes of meaningless comparison: Favre lost his first Bears game, at home. His first Bears game in Soldier Field: a win. Wentz’s first Bears game is coming in Soldier Field.

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