In July, Eagles coach Doug Pederson told reporters he expected rookie quarterback Carson Wentz to be inactive in Week 1. Today, he named the 2016 draft's No. 2 overall pick his starter.
Coach Pederson names Carson Wentz the starter for Week 1 versus Cleveland. #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/KQUZiGsysD
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 5, 2016
So what changed?
“The trade happened,” Pederson said at a press conference Monday, referring to the trade of Sam Bradford to the Vikings.
Bradford was going to start for Philadelphia while Chase Daniel backed him up and Wentz served as third-string. That plan was thrown out, and Wentz leapfrogged Daniel because of his play in practice and preseason. Now Wentz will lead the Eagles' offense Sunday against the Browns in Philadelphia.
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"We 've got to be smart in how we handle it but at the same time fully expect [Wentz] to perform how he's capable of performing in what we've seen throughout OTAs and training camp," Pederson said. "What he did in all OTAs, what he's done around this building, the plays he's made in practice, in the one preseason game has given me confidence that he can lead this football team."
The decision to start Wentz was expected, but it's still a big move for the franchise. According to ESPN, he'll be the first rookie quarterback in franchise history to start the first week of the season.
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"We drafted him to take the reins," Pederson said. "It's something now that we are prepared to do. We have to be smart in how we handle it, but at the same time, we fully expect him to perform at the level he is capable of."
