Carson Wentz adds ammo to argument that he’s a bad teammate

So, how do you feel about Carson  Wentz now?

Before another word is said, typed, or uttered, let’s make a few things abundantly clear. When the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Carson Wentz with the second-overall selection in 2016’s NFL Draft, everyone knew there was something special about him. He’s gifted. He’s talented. It would be ridiculous for us to state that he isn’t a great guy.

In all honesty, if you have a daughter, you’d be pretty doggone lucky if she grew up and married someone like Carson Wentz. He’s driven, hardworking, and God-fearing. Those are facts, and they can’t be argued. Unfortunately, there are other characteristics of Carson Wentz’s personality that are seemingly a little closer to being debatable, and we’ve gone back and forth about these for quite some time.

The argument can also be made that Wentz is difficult to coach, thin-skinned, a little spoiled, and a bad teammate at times. He’s admitted to the latter criticism, but a recent report may add a little fuel to this fire.

Here’s the latest in the Carson Wentz saga.

According to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, sources close to the team indicate that Carson Wentz doesn’t want to be the backup quarterback and he would want to move on from the Eagles if the current situation, one in which Jalen Hurts is starting, continues in Philadelphia.

Let’s make something abundantly clear. Our staff here at ITI has been fair to Carson Wentz. We’ve defended him when necessary. We’ve criticized him when that was appropriate. Again, 11 seems like a pretty cool guy. It would be cool to go on a mission trip with him and build houses or go hunting with the guy. The facts are the facts though.

We’ve seen teammates play harder for Nick Foles and Jalen Hurts. We’ve heard him publicly criticized by the guys that share the locker room with him on more than one occasion. We know that he was a problem for John DeFilippo because his former quarterback coach was too tough on him. We also know that he loves Press Taylor and that Press is his buddy and an enabler.

He’s been attacked on a burner account and by an anonymous source. Last season, we know that at least two of his wide receivers were out to get him. We also know that he’s been very public with his comments that though he’s proud of Foles for delivering the Super Bowl, he wishes that he was the man that got it done. Seriously, did that need to be said? The Birds have a shot to make the playoffs. Why does he feel the need to make these recent comments about his current situation right now? Is that being a good teammate?

Think about something. What if Jalen Hurts said that he didn’t want to be in Philly if Carson Wentz was the starter? You’d be murdering him and assassinating him on social media right now.

So, again, how do you feel about Carson Wentz now?

The Eagles have done everything that they can to make 11 comfortable. They made his buddy his position coach. Philly removed Foles from the team so Wentz wouldn’t have to look over his shoulder, and they moved on from other players who had larger voices in the locker room (Malcolm Jenkins) so this would truly be Wentz’s team. Each time he was criticized, whether it be for his on-field play or the questions about his character, we ran to his defense. That’s not going to happen this time.

Here’s something else that you should have learned or should have seen for yourself. If you remove 2017, Wentz has a sub-.500 record as the Eagles starter. Doug Pederson is 11-4 as the Eagles head coach without him. That includes a divisional-round playoff loss and a Week 17 game in 2017 that the Eagles weren’t even trying to win.

Sure, Carson Wentz is a great guy, but he still has growing to do. We all do. It’s just easier to criticize 11 because we’re watching him grow up on television. Is Carson Wentz’s time in Philadelphia over? It’s possible. Maybe he needs to go to a city where the fans aren’t as passionate or critical. He loves to be adored. He hates criticism. Come on. He played his college ball in North Dakota. Philly was a culture shock.

Think about something while you’re mulling that over though. This team built a shrine to Nick Foles. Do you think they’re doing that when Carson Wentz leaves? That alone should tell you everything that you need to know about how this team feels about him. His recent statements demonstrate something else. You can blame anyone if they join the ‘Carson Wentz is a bad teammate’ train.