Wentzylvania no more.
The Eagles traded former Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz in February. And though he has settled in with the Indianapolis Colts, Wentz has managed to linger around Philadelphia until now.
On Monday morning, the Eagles removed his banner outside of Lincoln Financial Field. The [five-year] era is now over as the team rebuilds their franchise, moving into the 2021 season.
WENT[Z] AWAY: EAGLES REMOVE BANNER
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Carson Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
The banner at Lincoln Financial Field displayed Wentz in 2019 after signing a four-year $128 million contract extension. Although the photo was intended to solidify him as the face of the franchise, things didn’t proceed as planned.
In 2020, Wentz played the worst game of his career, completing only 57.4% of passes, logging a record-high 15 interceptions and 50 sacks. Head coach Doug Pederson benched Wentz in Week 13 for rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts, eventually leading to his descent out of Philadelphia.
Though Wentz’s time with the Eagles didn’t end as many would have hoped, he will undoubtedly leave a mark on the city. Wentz owns three of the four-best quarterback seasons in Eagles history (101.9 passer rating in 2017, 102.2 in 2018, and 93.1 in 2019). His 89.2 passer rating is the second-highest in franchise history (minimum 1,000 attempts) after Nick Foles (93.2). Wentz also ranks fourth in franchise history with 113 touchdown passes, fourth with 16,811 passing yards, and fourth with 35 wins.
Additionally, the 28-year-old holds numerous league records, ranking among NFL’s best quarterbacks, including Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.
After the Eagles traded Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts, the quarterback stated that his time in Philadelphia “was difficult.”
He stated, “I’ve learned you’re not going to make everybody happy. As much as you want to, you can’t. It’s unfortunate people have those opinions. I’m going to learn from it and try to be the best teammate I can be. If there are teammates who don’t think I was the best teammate, I apologize; I wish I could be better. Last year was tough for everybody.”
As Wentz looks forward to a new chapter, Philadelphia is doing the same. Monday morning, the Eagles removed the quarterback’s banner from outside of Lincoln Financial Field.
THE LINC’S NEW TRIBUTE
After just one day, the banner has been replaced. The new display features the Lombardi Trophy in the hands of former Eagles quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.
The Lombardi Trophy is the first and only in Philadelphia’s franchise history. Nick Foles replaced Carson Wentz after an injury ended Wentz’s season early. The team advanced to Super Bowl LII against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. A trick play, “The Philly Special,” placed the Eagles in a better position, ultimately leading to their 41-33 victory. Nick Foles and “The Philly Special” are also displayed as a statue outside of Lincoln Financial Field.
In the last 24 hours, the photo sparked a lot of attention on who would replace Carson Wentz moving forward.
According to a team source, “the banner is entirely on celebrating an iconic moment in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles, and in our view, it is entirely irrelevant who is holding the trophy in the photograph.”
Though it may not matter whose hands are in the photo, the banner will always be a reminder of the 2018 season and the memories that will remain alive for a lifetime.
