Eagles’ Doug Pederson: No decision on whether Carson Wentz will play in first preseason game
If he does play against the Titans, it will be brief.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Tuesday that he still hasn’t decided whether Carson Wentz will play Thursday night in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans at Lincoln Financial Field.
If Wentz does play, be advised: Don’t blink or you might miss him.
The Eagles quarterback said whatever his boss decides is fine with him.
“It’s his decision; I’ll be ready either way," Wentz said. “My preseasons have looked vastly different every year. So I don’t know if there’s a [correct] formula for it.
“A little bit is helpful, but I don’t know if it’s needed. I’ll trust coach to make those decisions."
Wentz didn’t play in any of the Eagles’ preseason games last year because he was coming off a torn ACL and wasn’t cleared to play until the third game of the season.
In 2017, he played 13 snaps in the first preseason game and just 50 snaps the entire preseason. As a rookie in 2016, he suffered a hairline rib fracture in the first preseason game after playing 39 snaps against Tampa Bay. He sat out the rest of the preseason but started all 16 games that year.
Asked whether Wentz and other starters would play against the Titans, Pederson said, “We’re working through that ... We have a lot of bodies we want to see in this game. So I haven’t made a determination yet."
Wentz is coming off a fractured vertabra in his back that sidelined him for the Eagles’ final three regular-season games last season, as well as their two playoff games.
“Obviously, it’s been a while since he’s been on the field [in a competitive situation] and we want to get him back to the feeling of being back on the grass again in a live situation," Pederson said.
“The reason for holding him [out of Thursday night’s game, if that is the case] is to still evaluate Nate [Sudfeld] and the other quarterbacks. Those are the things we’re working through."