During his introductory press conference with the Washington Commanders, Carson Wentz was asked about returning to the NFC East and facing the Eagles in 2022.
Will he be cheered? Will he be booed?
Carson Wentz says he’ll be ready for anything when his Commanders visit Lincoln Financial Field for his first game against his former team this season.
“I’ll admit it will be weird that first time going to the Linc,” Wentz said to reporters during his introductory press conference in Washington.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“I’m sure I’ll hear a little bit of everything. Definitely am aware of that and I embrace it. I embrace it. It’s exciting and I’ll try to keep all those things at bay. Hey, it’s just football. Just go play ball and all the outside noise will take care of itself.”
While the NFL schedule has not yet been released, we know Wentz will face the Eagles once at the Linc and once at FedExField in 2022.
Earlier this month, after just one year in Indianapolis, Wentz was traded back to the NFC East.
Not only that, but Wentz will also face his other former team, the Colts, and his former head coach, Doug Pederson, during the 2022 season. It’s a season of reunions, which might not be a bad thing if Wentz’s previous two stops didn’t end so poorly.
NFL
The Eagles moved mountains to draft Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick back in 2016 and you can still argue it was a good move. In his second season in 2017, Wentz was playing at an MVP level before tearing his ACL and LCL in December. But he helped the Eagles get off to a white-hot start to earn them the No. 1 seed in the NFC for their Super Bowl run.
But Wentz watched as Nick Foles led his team to a 41-33 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII and things were never the same. Despite flashes of great play, Wentz never regained his form with the Eagles and was awful in 2020. Pederson benched him for Jalen Hurts and then Wentz wanted out. The Eagles traded him to the Colts for a pick that ended up being a first-rounder and Wentz is already with a new team before the Eagles even got to use that pick.
Subscribe to the Eagle Eye podcast
Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Watch on YouTube
Much of the internet’s attention on Thursday morning focused around Wentz’s hot-dog-like outfit, but there were plenty of-hard hitting questions about Wentz’s past and his leadership style. There are a lot of serious question marks as Wentz prepares to start for his third different team in three seasons.
“I know definitely it’s humbling, without a doubt, to go from where I was in Philly to being benched and traded. I’m aware,” Wentz said. “I’m aware of what that does. I try to just stay optimistic and positive. And just make the most of it. Don’t hold a grudge, try not to walk around like there’s a chip on my shoulder or any of those things. Because it definitely refuels my fire for the game and my passion for the game to be the best I can be and realize the period of time in an NFL athletes career is a short window. It’s a short window.”
After wearing the No. 2 on his jersey during his one season in Indianapolis, with the Commanders Wentz will be back in No. 11, “which feels like home to me.”