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Carson Wentz Doesn't Know Why Eagles Benched Him for Jalen Hurts: 'It's Not Fun'
March 18, 2021
Carson Wentz's tenure with the Indianapolis Colts began in earnest Thursday, as the veteran quarterback spoke with the media to discuss his 2020 season, being traded by the Philadelphia Eagles and hopes for the future.
One key topic was Wentz talking about being benched in favor of Jalen Hurts during a Week 14 game against the Green Bay Packers.
"I'm not gonna sugar coat it," said Wentz. "It's not fun. ... A lot of things, I don't know why they happened or why they went the way that they did. But you have to look at yourself in the mirror as a man."
Hurts started Philadelphia's final four games after replacing Wentz.
Even though there were reports that Wentz was unhappy with former head coach Doug Pederson during and after the 2020 season, that apparently didn't extend to his relationship with Hurts.
"Jalen and I had a great relationship," Wentz said. "I wish him nothing but the best. He's got a lot of ability. ... I have a lot of respect for him."
Wentz also explained that his on-field struggles last year were "a culmination of everything," but "you learn from it, get better from it."
Philadelphia acquired a 2021 third-round draft pick and a 2022 conditional second-round draft pick from Indianapolis for Wentz.
The Colts will hope to get the version of Wentz that was instrumental in making the Eagles a Super Bowl contender during the 2017 season before he tore his ACL late in the year.
Indianapolis does offer familiarity for Wentz. Head coach Frank Reich was his offensive coordinator for two years with the Eagles before being hired by the Colts in February 2018.
Wentz threw for 3,296 yards and 33 touchdowns in 13 games during the 2017 season with Reich coaching the offense. He set career lows with a 57.4 completion percentage and 2,620 yards last year. His 15 interceptions were tied with Drew Lock of the Denver Broncos for most in the NFL.