Eagles HC Doug Pederson on Carson Wentz: 'He Is Our Quarterback of the Future'

Nick Foles is pretty popular in Philadelphia. He led the Eagles to the first Super Bowl in team history, after all, and guided the struggling team to a crucial win over the Los Angeles Rams last week that kept their playoff hopes alive.

That's led to some Philadelphia fans clamoring for Foles to be the team's long-term starter, but head coach Doug Pederson reiterated on Friday that the injured Carson Wentz remains the franchise quarterback (h/t Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP):

"I can stand here and say that Carson (Wentz) is our quarterback. He is our quarterback of the future. That is why we drafted him. That is also why we have Nick here. A backup, a veteran player to—I don't wanna say bail us out, but to come in an execute the offense. I think we just continue to reaffirm that to Carson. And let him know that, and continue to say 'Listen, you are going to be here for a long time.' We just have to commit to that, communicate that him, and let that kind of sink in."

The third-year Wentz has seen injuries impact his past two seasons, with an ACL tear interrupting a potential MVP campaign last year and a fractured vertebra likely ending his 2018 campaign.

Wentz didn't play poorly this year, throwing for 3,074 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 69.6 percent of his passes.

The Eagles have gone just 5-6 in his starts this season, however, as injuries have marred the team. Under Foles, the Birds have gone 2-1. 

The Eagles sit at 7-7 and a half-game behind the Minnesota Vikings for the final postseason berth in the NFC. Even if the Eagles win out against the Houston Texans and Washington, they'd still need Minnesota to lose once.

But what happens if Foles leads the Eagles to two straight victories and they reach the postseason? If Wentz is cleared to play, would the Eagles return him to the starting lineup or ride the hot hand in Foles?

Pederson's comments suggest that Wentz would get the nod, though the move would be controversial in Philadelphia. Foles quickly became a hero after last season's improbable Super Bowl run, and if Pederson pulled him after several wins in a row, there would be grumblings.

Wentz is the better quarterback, however. While Foles has played well in Philadelphia under Pederson, it's important to remember he runs hot and cold and has completed just 60.8 percent of his passes in his career, throwing for 62 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. 

Eagles fans remember his hot streaks, namely when he outdueled Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. But Foles also played poorly at times last year. He completed just 50 percent of his passes in an ugly 19-10 win over the Oakland Raiders last season, and he didn't throw for a touchdown pass in the team's 15-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the postseason.

This season, he threw for just 117 yards and an interception in a season-opening win over the Falcons. Yes, the Eagles won those games, but all three came down to huge performances from the defense. 

Foles' highs have been incredible for the Eagles, but his mythologizing in Philadelphia tends to forget his lows.