Philadelphia Eagles Might Have a Quarterback Battle

The start of the NFL season might be less than 100 days away but there are still questions about the Philadelphia Eagles man in the center.

It’s safe to say that the past few weeks have been interesting ones for the Philadelphia Eagles. First came the 2016 NFL Draft. The Eagles made a monumental trade with the Cleveland Browns in order to obtain the No.2 overall draft pick. That meant that either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz would end up as the Eagles first pick. That honor eventually went to Wentz and the Eagles brought him to the City of Brotherly Love. However, there was one man who wasn’t happy with the team’s decision.

Assumed starter Sam Bradford decided he wanted to leave Philadelphia when the news broke about Wentz. He was unhappy that the team made this decision. His agent started looking for offers but as soon as he declared he wanted a trade, the drama was over. OTAs started and many reassured the public that Bradford was still the starting man.

Even Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has made it clear that Bradford is the No.1 guy going into the regular season. Yet there seem to be whispers about Wentz. During OTAs, he was seen picking up plays much quicker than Bradford did when he first joined the team. Granted, that was under Chip Kelly. However, it is surprising considering Wentz is a rookie and Bradford is a seven year veteran in the league.

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So will the Eagles have a quarterback battle on their hands?

It might not look like it right off the bat but there are some things that make it go in favor of Wentz. Tuesday’s OTAs weren’t as organized. The Eagles defense looked messy and the offense was a bit of a shamble. Yet Wentz shined and looked like he could fit in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. He did over throw some passes and made simple mistakes. Overall, he looked like a seasoned quarterback rather than someone who was just entering his first year in the NFL. According to Pro Football Talk, Wentz was learning much better and faster than Bradford, who is transitioning from Kelly’s offense to Pederson’s.

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There is also going to be a money factor that will come into play. Bradford is going to get paid $18 million and there is no way that the Eagles upper management will be happy watching that amount sit on the bench. Bradford might have been rusty since he was absent for the first two weeks in protest. He didn’t run the ball as much during OTAs and he was struggling to sync with the offense. Yet Bradford had been rebuilding his rapport with his teammates and some, including Jordan Matthews, have even defended him. He has the tenure, the money and by some accounts the skills to be the Eagles starting man come September.

So what will be the Eagles final decision?

The final decision will likely come down to who can lead the team down the long stretch of the season. Bradford has the years but it seems that Wentz has the drive and natural talent. You don’t sit a QB like Bradford who is owed a lot of money. You also don’t pick up a QB with your second overall draft pick and bench him either. Wentz is picking up the game faster than Bradford and that might be a huge plus for Pederson to start him. Yet he’s never been tested on an NFL field against other teams and Bradford with his experience might just be the better choice. Whoever Pederson decides to go with, it will be very interesting leading up to the Week 1 game.