PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - This decision...Hurts.
Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles announced quarterback Carson Wentz will head to the bench in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts.
The Eagles (3-8-1) have lost four in a row and are headed nowhere in the NFC East, even though they’re still within 1 1/2 games of the first-place New York Giants (5-7).
Wentz, who signed a $128 million, four-year contract extension that kicks in next season, was benched in the second half of Sunday's 30-16 loss at Green Bay. Hurts threw a 32-yard touchdown pass but also threw an interception and was sacked three times.
Hurts, the former Alabama and Oklahoma star, was a second-round pick this year.
Head coach Doug Pederson and Wentz came to Philadelphia in 2016. They led the Eagles to the franchise’s only Super Bowl title in 2017. Wentz was 11-2 before a knee injury forced him to watch Nick Foles lead the Eagles through the playoffs and victory over New England.
Wentz finished third in NFL MVP voting that season, and last year he became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards without one wide receiver having 500 yards receiving.
He has a career-low 72.8 passer rating and 19 turnovers in 2020, including 15 interceptions.
