The Philadelphia Eagles gave Carson Wentz the biggest deal in NFL History, showing that they are all in on their franchise QB.
Carson Wentz is a quarterback who showed signs that he can be a franchise signal-caller in his first three seasons in the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles weren’t shy about expressing their interest in locking up Wentz long-term and, on Thursday, they did just that. Wentz and the Eagles agreed to a four-year, $128 million contract extension, keeping the quarterback with the team through the 2024 season.
With Wentz’s contract extension, this shows that the Eagles are all in on their quarterback. They have confidence that he can play at an MVP level as he did in the 2017 season.
However, with this big payday comes with added risk for Philly and pressure for the former No. 2 pick as he now has to prove that this extension is worth every penny for the Eagles.
Money Bag Wentz
The money within this new contract for Wentz is huge, and that is no understatement. Again, that four-year extension is worth $128 million, with an astounding $107.9 million of that guaranteed. That breaks Russell Wilson’s short-lived record as the most money guaranteed in NFL history. With $66 million due at signing, the deal could reach a max value of $144 million.
In total, Wentz’s new contract is six years, $154 million with the potential to max out at $170 million. It’s fair to say that Wentz is getting paid.
Even though this is a humongous contract extension, it was a smart one for the Eagles. In recent years, the market for quarterbacks (especially premium ones) has skyrocketed. Many franchise quarterbacks are getting more money in their contracts, specifically guaranteed money.
The Eagles decided to pay Wentz now, as the prices for signal-callers will likely rise next season. Many notable quarterbacks (like Patrick Mahomes) will be eligible for an extension at that time. The Eagles made a wise choice in getting Wentz locked up now, so they won’t have to deal with the increased pricing at the position next year.
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This new extension makes it very clear that Philly is all in on Wentz. At age 26, the Eagles are making a long-term commitment to Wentz, as his contract will keep him with the team until he is 31 years old. That is still young for an NFL quarterback, but if Wentz can perform like Doug Pederson and Philly know he can, he is sure to get an even better deal when this contract is close to expiring.
However, this contract comes with some risks. Yes, it was smart for Jeffrey Lurie and the front office to pay him now to avoid the rising quarterback market, but Wentz’s health and durability have been a cause for concern the last two seasons.
Risk, Reward
The Eagles showed the money to Wentz, but they understand the risk that was involved with that. He has missed a good amount of time due to injuries last season, which has put a big question mark on his durability. Wentz missed the last three games in 2017 (and the playoffs that year) after suffering a torn ACL and LCL in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Rams.
He returned from that injury, but then suffered a stress fracture in his back late in 2018, causing him to miss the last fives games of the regular season and the Eagles’ two playoff games as well.
Even though there is a risk regarding his health, there is also the potential for a big reward. Wentz has proven he can be an elite quarterback when healthy, emerging as the frontrunner for the MVP award in 2017 before his injury. He threw for 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions last year, so Philly knows that Wentz has the ability to perform well when he is on the field.
The Eagles’ Super Bowl window is wide open at the moment, and the Eagles kept it open for much longer by locking up Wentz for the foreseeable future. Wentz has many key pieces around him in Philly for at least the next couple years, so there is the potential that he (not Nick Foles) can lead them to a championship. Many see this contract as a smart investment by the Eagles.
During offseason workouts, Wentz has looked sharp and, more importantly, healthy. He hasn’t been wearing the knee brace like he did last year, which limited his mobility. Mobility is a key part of his game, as there have been times he has made something out of nothing by moving around the pocket and scrambling.
With this new contract, Wentz knows that him being healthy is critical. He hasn’t played a 16-game season since his rookie year, and having a durable, reliable quarterback is essential in today’s NFL.
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Pressure
This contract gives Wentz more money, but it also gives him more pressure coming into this season. He already had a decent amount because of his durability questions, but now that he got paid, that pressure has intensified. With no Nick Foles there to save the day, it is now on Wentz to get this team to where it believes it could go and that is a Super Bowl.
Carson Wentz’s new contract was a smart, calculated risk, that has the potential for big rewards for the Philadelphia Eagles. They feel confident not only in Wentz’s ability but also in his health going forward, despite the questions looming around that topic for others. This deal has the potential to be a huge bargain for Philly, and if Wentz can return to MVP form it could bring those rewards sooner rather than later for the Eagles.