Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks are working on a new deal. Why does that matter to Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles?
The quarterback market in the NFL is wild nowadays. It doesn’t matter if you’re the best quarterback in the league or not. If a guy is wanted within his organization, he’s going to get paid generously. And if the said quarterback has even shown flashes of elite status in the past, then they will want to get paid like they are the best passer in the game. Then the cycle continues. It’s not always ideal for franchises, but that’s just the way it goes.
This year, some significant quarterbacks are entering their contract years. For starters, the Philadelphia Eagles have one of them in Carson Wentz. Then, there is Wentz’s draft buddies Jared Goff and Dak Prescott. Over in Seattle, the Seahawks also have to decide for their 30-year-old veteran Russell Wilson, and he has issued his team a deadline to get it done.
Wilson has been in the NFL since 2012, so this isn’t his first rodeo when it comes to contract negotiations. As Wilson is a five-time Pro Bowler with seven seasons under his belt, he will get paid handsomely. Considering the state of the QB market, we might be looking at a $200 million man by his desired deadline of April 15th. Wilson knows he will get paid, as he’s one of the more proven talents in the NFL. He hasn’t missed a game in his career. But the Eagles need to start thinking quickly about what exactly they want to do with Carson Wentz. And they should know before Seattle reaches their April 15th deadline with Wilson.
Should the Eagles pay Wentz and get it out of the way?
As soon as Wilson gets paid, the quarterback market inflates. As I stated before, that’s just the way the cycle works. So far, Wilson, Wentz, and Prescott were all notified by their teams that they were in their respective team’s plans for beyond 2019. So now we are just waiting to see who is going to be the first to get their deal. The Cowboys are at a roadblock as they continue to try and work out a deal with their defensive end, DeMarcus Lawrence.
The Eagles shockingly have tons of cap space to make this thing happen today, but right now it’s unclear how early the Eagles want to get Wentz’s deal done. Is he the guy for the future? Well, his owner, general manager, and head coach all confirmed that.
So can we expect a deal sooner than later? I don’t see why not. If the Eagles wait for Wilson and Prescott’s deal’s to go through first, then Wentz has the opportunity to maximize his potential in 2019. If he stays healthy, and balls out like it’s 2017, we’re looking at a QB who’s going to get the biggest contract at the position.
If the Eagles get a deal done with Wentz now while the market is still a bit fair, they don’t have to worry about the price going up as it’s already set in. His health is an uncertainty right now, but the Eagles already confirmed that he’s the quarterback of the future. From both perspectives, it’s a big gamble. But it could make more sense to pay Wentz now before he wants to beat out whatever contract Russell Wilson gets when the time comes. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds in the coming weeks.