No limitations for Carson Wentz as OTAs begin, per Doug Pederson

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As the Eagles kick off OTA practices on Tuesday morning, Carson Wentz is a full-go. 

The Eagles’ franchise quarterback has no limitations, according to head coach Doug Pederson, and will do everything this spring. 

“I’m not going to hold him back,” Pederson said. 

This is good news, although it’s not really unexpected. 

Even before an NFL Network report on Monday said Wentz would have no limitations, this was always the expectation. It was always Wentz’s goal to be ready for OTAs. 

Wentz is now five months from the time in December when Pederson said the healing time for the stress fracture in his back was three months. Had Wentz not been ready, then there would have been cause for concern. Now, there should just be a slight sense of relief. 

This is an important offseason for the 26-year-old franchise quarterback. He was limited last spring and summer as he recovered from a torn ACL and LCL. During the 2018 season, he said he never felt his full explosion in that left knee return. 

If Wentz is going to get back to his near-MVP form from the 2017 season, it won’t hurt having him out there for OTAs. Some might want the Eagles to hold back some with Wentz, but these spring practices aren’t very strenuous. And he has some new receivers and running backs to get used to. 

Is is important? Yes,” Pederson said. “Is it training camp? No. Is it the regular season? No. We’re still building as a football team. We’ve got new players, we’ve gone out and got a bunch of free agents and we’re trying to get everybody on the same page. 

We’ve got some rookies. We’ve just got to get everybody … this is the time to get on the same page. We’re working through some things, offensively, defensively, on special teams. Is it important that he’s out there? I do think it’s important that he’s there working with the guys. That’s why I’m excited that he gets a chance to do that.

One key player Wentz has to get used to playing with is DeSean Jackson. Jackson has the kind of speed Wentz has never had before and it takes some time to build an on-field relationship. Jackson has been around and working with Wentz all spring, so that should help. 

There’s also the issue of the contract extension that might happen before the start of the 2019 season. The Eagles haven’t been shy about their desire to get a deal done. Having Wentz on the field might help things along. 

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