What is the Philadelphia Eagles fatal flaw in 2019?

What could totally derail the Philadelphia Eagles quest to another Super Bowl in 2019? CBS Sports’ Will Brinson has a take.

Recently, the Philadelphia Eagles won a Super Bowl. I’m sure by now you’re well aware. Winning a Super Bowl in 2017 was extra special for Philadelphia because it just so happened to be their first Lombardi trophy to throw into the case since the franchise has existed. While the Eagles were clearly one of the better teams in the NFL when healthy that year, their team wasn’t precisely in tip-top shape when they faced the New England Patriots in the big game.

There were injuries everywhere! The starting left tackle was out, a handful of linebackers were out, a critical weapon out of the backfield, the starting quarterback who was arguably the MVP of the league before he went down. The Eagles had a ton of potential downfalls that could’ve stripped the Super Bowl away from them – but it didn’t. That year, the Eagles took some big blows, but they survived what many would call a ‘fatal flaw’ that season.

Knowing what we know about the Eagles’ ability to fight through adversity and become successful at football’s highest level, what could be their ‘fatal flaw’ for this year? Recently, CBS Sports’ Will Brinson put together a list of all 32 teams, mentioning one fatal flaw for each squad. Yes, the Eagles do have a potentially fatal flaw, and no, the results are not shocking at all.

What’s the Eagles fatal flaw for 2019?

"“The Eagles are even more talented than they were heading into their title defense season last year. But this time around, there’s no Nick Foles as a parachute option to replace Carson Wentz if something happens to the fourth-year starter. Wentz is in the middle of contract negotiations; except only playing 24 games the last two years leaves a lot of questions about his health, especially with last year’s back injury lingering in the wake of an ACL injury that cut his would-be MVP season of 2017 short. If Wentz plays 16 games, this is a Super Bowl contender. If not, we’ll find out what Doug Pederson can do with Nate Sudfeld.”"

Surprise, surprise – the Eagles’ suspected fatal flaw for the 2019 NFL Season would be Carson Wentz’s health. The worry is warranted for sure. Wentz might’ve gotten injured in 2017, but he also went down in 2018 as well. Thankfully, the Eagles had Nick Foles both times to back him up, but this year, Nate Sudfeld is the suspected backup. Some say allowing Foles to leave for a starting position was a mistake, but the Eagles didn’t have much of a choice.

Wentz will need to prove he can stay healthy for the year, no doubt. And if he does go down once again, we have to play the question game by assuming Sudfeld can or cannot serve Wentz well in his absence. Remember, when Foles relieved Wentz in 2017, he wasn’t exactly Superman right off the bat. In fact, it took him up until the NFC Championship to finally hit his stride.

Sudfeld could be a decent backup considering the Eagles’ offense is pretty stacked across the board. However, it would be ideal if the Eagles didn’t have to go through that scenario once again and find out. After all, they intend on paying Wentz the big bucks for this season and beyond. Here’s to hoping they don’t end up dealing with their biggest fatal flaw in 2019.