Pederson won't bench struggling Wentz: 'Right now, we're not doing it'
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz's disastrous season continued during Monday night's 23-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but head coach Doug Pederson isn't considering a change under center just yet.
Wentz threw his 15th interception of the campaign against Seattle - giving him four more than any other quarterback - and completed just 55.5% of his passes for an abysmal average of 4.78 yards.
Pederson said any change at quarterback would be his decision alone, "but right now, we're not doing it," according to Zach Berman of The Athletic.
Doug said Carson Wentz is salvageable, and that he's one of the hardest workers on team and they'll get it fixed. #Eagles.
- Martin Frank (@Mfranknfl) December 1, 2020
The Eagles surprised the football world in April by picking former Oklahoma star Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Philadelphia insisted at the time that the selection of Hurts wasn't due to a lack of faith in Wentz. But with the starter's struggles showing no signs of abating, calls for a switch to the rookie have intensified.
Hurts was reportedly set for his biggest role of the season Monday, but he only participated in two offensive snaps.
"The struggles we had last night weren't from the quarterback position," Pederson said, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
While Wentz has borne the brunt of criticism for the Eagles' issues, Pederson's play-calling ability has also been widely questioned.
The head coach said he doesn't think he's "in a rut" with his play-calling, but he admitted giving up those duties "is on the table." Philadelphia opted not to replace former offensive coordinator Mike Groh after firing him in January.
Despite his poor play, Wentz is likely locked in as the Eagles' starter for at least one more season due to his mammoth contract. The 2016 No. 2 overall pick inked a four-year, $128-million extension last year, and the NFC East club would incur an unworkable $59.2-million dead-money cap hit by cutting the 27-year-old in the offseason.
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