Carson Wentz Trade Rumors: Eagles Telling HC Candidates They Want QB Back

The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly telling head coaching candidates they want Carson Wentz on the roster in 2021.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Eagles management believes Wentz is "fixable" after a miserable 2020 campaign. The quarterback is open to returning after the firing of Doug Pederson. Wentz and Pederson had a falling-out as the season progressed, leading to the former being a healthy scratch in Week 17.

The Eagles have cast a wide net in their coaching search, which now includes Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. 

An offensive head coach would make sense if turning Wentz around is a priority. McDaniels struggled in his lone stint as a head coach with the Broncos from 2009 to 2010 but has remained patient since his return to New England as an offensive coordinator.

Bieniemy has been instrumental in the development of Patrick Mahomes into the best player in football and is one of the most respected assistants in the sport.

While there's an understandable temptation for the Eagles to stay committed to Wentz rather than cut bait after one bad season, the decision could be motivated more by finances. 

Wentz has a $34.7 million cap hit for the 2021 season, which is accompanied by a $59.2 million dead cap charge if he's released. That number drops to $33.8 million if Wentz is traded, but given the fact that he's coming off the worst season of his career and his 2021 base salary guarantees on the third day of this coming league year, navigating a deal would be difficult.

The Eagles would essentially be trading Wentz at the absolute bottom of his value. Even if he doesn't return to Pro Bowl form, it's hard to see Wentz being worse than he was in 2020. A mean regression to a league-average starting quarterback would make him valuable as a trade piece in the 2022 offseason, when moving on would be much more palatable from a cap standpoint. 

Jalen Hurts performed well in a short stint after taking over for Wentz for the final four games of the season, and it's likely the two will have some type of quarterback battle regardless of whom the Eagles choose as coach. If Hurts winds up being the Week 1 starter next season, there's a chance the relationship between Wentz and the Eagles reaches a breaking point.