PHILADELPHIA — Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz said he is not concerned by the team’s decision to draft Jalen Hurts in the second round, and is OK sharing snaps with him if it’s in the best interest of the team.
“I came to Philly ever since being drafted and all I’ve wanted to do is win and stand up there and hold that Lombardi trophy. Whatever that takes and whatever that looks like, I’m on board,” Wentz said on a teleconference with reporters Monday. “I’m a competitor, I want to be out there, I want to have the ball in my hands — we all do — but at the same time, whatever is going to help us win, I’m confident the coaches and everyone is going to put us in the best situation.”
Before selecting Hurts 53rd overall in last month’s NFL draft, general manager Howie Roseman called Wentz earlier in the day to alert him of the possibility — a conversation Roseman described as “not comfortable” on his end because “what helps the team the most at this moment in his mind is probably a different player, a different position because we have a great player there.”
Wentz, though, said he “had a feeling” the Eagles were going to take a quarterback given the way the roster is laid out and the team’s desire to get younger overall, and wasn’t worried about what the selection said about him and his standing on the team.
“I think the team showed their investment in me last year [with a four-year, $128 million extension] and I have nothing but confidence and faith in them and they have nothing but confidence and faith in me, so I think it’s all about just strengthening that position and this group that we have,” said Wentz, who added that he is “excited” to have Hurts as a teammate. “If I were to start questioning Howie and the management now, I’d really be questioning myself because when I signed the deal I did it was my way of showing I trust and believe in what we’re doing in Philly and they trust and believe in me.”
Wentz and his wife, Maddie, just welcomed a baby girl last week. Busy with their firstborn, he said he has taken part in only one of the team’s virtual meetings to date.
But he has reached out to Hurts by phone and had a brief conversation with him, and welcomed him to the team by social media as well. He does not believe Hurts’ presence will serve as extra motivation, as he has plenty already after having his first playoff game cut short due to a concussion against the Seattle Seahawks last January.
“For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the room with me. I’m the most motivated person in that room. I strongly believe that just because that’s how I’m wired,” he said.
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