Wentz: Injury 'hurts pretty good,' but he'll bounce back
Carson Wentz said that his ribs are sore and his side hurts doing almost everything, but the rookie quarterback still hopes to return in time for the Eagles' preseason finale against the New York Jets on Sept. 1.
Carson Wentz said that his ribs are sore and his side hurts doing almost everything, but the rookie quarterback still hopes to return in time for the Eagles' preseason finale against the New York Jets on Sept. 1.
Wentz suffered a hairline fracture in his ribs Thursday in the preseason opener.
"Contact's limited here for awhile," Wentz said Sunday night. "The goal is hopefully still in the preseason I'll be ready to go, but you never know with these things, so we'll have to see."
Wentz watched practice at Lincoln Financial Field in his red No. 11 jersey and shorts, but without the pads like the rest of the Eagles players. He stood with the quarterbacks and observed all the drills and throws.
"It hurts pretty good," Wentz said. "It hurts pretty much everything I do, but it'll be all right."
Wentz said this is the first time he's had a rib injury. He described the feeling as "weird" and "sore" after he was hurt, but he didn't know how to react. He tried to practice on Saturday but he "didn't realize how bad it hurt." An X-ray and CT scan revealed the fracture.
Quarterbacks wear red non-contact jerseys in practice. That means Wentz might be able to throw at practice before he's cleared to take hits in a game. If the pain dissipates, he could cut down on the amount of practice time he misses.
"I'll have to be cleared for the game situations, live contact," said Wentz, who also said he "would love to play tomorrow" but needs to wait and see how the injury heals.
Rookie running back Wendell Smallwood, Wentz's roommate, said the quarterback mentioned how "hurt he was" on the play that caused the injury even before the injury was diagnosed.
"I know him, he's a competitor, he couldn't wait until the first game and to prove to everyone he's the best quarterback and he was worth the draft pick," Smallwood said. "I know him, being the competitor he is, he's kind of upset right now."
Fourth-string quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson took Wentz's snaps during practice Sunday, rotating with starter Sam Bradford and backup Chase Daniel. Wentz will need to get used to studying those quarterbacks in the coming days.
"As many mental reps - that's part of being a backup quarterback," Wentz said. "You have to get the mental reps whether you're hurt or on the field. That's definitely what I'll be doing."
Wentz received an ovation from fans gathered around the players' entrance tunnel at the Linc. He shook hands with service members in attendance before Military Day and signed autographs for the military and fans after practice.
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