Pederson: Carson Wentz Has 'Done Everything' Eagles Have Asked of QB Amid Rumors

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is "not interested in being a backup quarterback and would want to move on from the Eagles if the current situation—with Jalen Hurts starting under center—continues in Philadelphia."  

Following the Eagles' 33-26 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Doug Pederson praised Wentz for how he's handled his benching in favor of Hurts.

"Carson has done everything we've asked him to do," he told reporters. "He is a pro. He is engaging. He is helping Jalen. I get it. I understand that it's a frustrating situation for him."

The current situation is likely to continue in Philadelphia.

Hurts was excellent Sunday, finishing 24-of-44 for 338 yards and three touchdowns while adding 63 rushing yards and another touchdown. Last week, he led the Eagles to a stunning 24-21 upset of the New Orleans Saints. 

Wentz, meanwhile, has been a disaster this season. Coming into Week 15, he ranked near the bottom of all qualified quarterbacks in a number of key stats, per Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice:

• Quarterback rating: 72.8 (34th out of 35 qualified quarterbacks)
• Touchdowns: 16 (20th)
• Interceptions: 15 (most in NFL)
• Sacks taken: 50 (most in NFL)
• Fumbles: 10 (second-most in NFL)
• Completion percentage: 57.4 percent (34th out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks)

Complicating the issue, the Eagles would incur an astronomical dead-cap hit next season if they simply release Wentz and a sizeable but more manageable dead-cap hit if they trade him. Given his struggles this season—and his injury history, as well—his trade value has arguably never been lower. 

It's left the Eagles in a tricky situation.

On one hand, finishing the season with Hurts as the starter would give them a longer look at him as they try to determine if he could be the starter going forward. And quite frankly, he's given the Eagles a better chance to win than Wentz in the short term. 

But it's also undoubtedly going to strain the relationship between Wentz and the team, to the point that it's becoming more and more likely he'll be traded this offseason. The alternative is a quarterback battle between Wentz and Hurts before next season, though that's rarely ideal, especially in a football-ravenous town like Philadelphia that is one bad game away from calling for the backup to start. 

Keeping both in Philly doesn't seem tenable, especially if Hurts plays well in the team's final two games. It's possible Wentz won't ever start another game for the Eagles.