The Eagles' offseason went from "fix a bad team" to "determine the future of the franchise" when Doug Pederson benched Carson Wentz in the second half of the team's Week 13 loss to the Packers.
And when reports emerged of a fractured relationship between Wentz and Pederson, it became pretty clear that both wouldn't return in 2021.
With Doug Pederson officially out as the Eagles head coach on Monday afternoon, where does that leave Wentz's status within the organization?
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According to a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, there's now an increased chance of Wentz returning to Philly in 2021:
Okay then!
To me, this is fascinating on a number of levels.
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For one thing, it suggests that Lurie's decision may have come down to some kind of "me or him" edict from Wentz, who Lurie reportedly has a fondness for, according to former Eagles players. (CHRIS LONG LINK) It's possible Lurie didn't like Pederson's direction in terms of choosing his coaches for next year, but he also might've disagreed with Pederson's evaluation of Wentz. Did Pederson want to trade Wentz this offseason? Maybe. Jalen Hurts looked much better in the Eagles' offense this season than Wentz did.
Another thing: this doesn't sound great for Hurts' future as an Eagle. He put together four-plus games of intriguing and promising football with the team. So if Wentz would like to return and give it a try under a new head coach and in a new system, and the team is willing to bring Wentz back as a starting QB? They're probably going to struggle to sell Hurts on returning to a backup role. Plus, there's likely to be a bit of a market for Hurts while he's playing on a second-round pick's rookie contract for three more seasons.
If Wentz and the Eagles are indeed able to mend fences this offseason, I can't wait to see how Wentz looks next season. There's a chance he'll also have better skill players around him - hello, Devonta Smith - but if Wentz shows a return to form in a new system, that won't reflect too well on Pederson. And if he continues to struggle? Pederson will be laughing it up elsewhere.
It's all very, very intriguing.
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