The Eagles' once-unthinkable trade of Carson Wentz is a self-made disaster | Bryan Armen Graham

Carson Wentz is headed to the Colts after Philadelphia opted to cut bait on their $128m franchise quarterback, a decision which went from unthinkable to inevitable in six dizzying months

For all that was made of their snakebitten history in the run-up to their first Super Bowl championship, the Philadelphia Eagles have been among the NFL's steadiest ships in the 27 years since film producer Jeffrey Lurie bought the team for a then-record $185m.

At the time, the Eagles had won their division on only nine occasions in 61 years. Under Lurie's ownership, they have reached the playoffs more often than any NFC team besides the Packers, the club which Lurie made the organizational paradigm when he handpicked a little-known Green Bay assistant coach named Andy Reid to lead them into the 21st century. Even if they only have one Lombardi trophy to show for it, the Eagles under Lurie transformed themselves into one of those select clubs that's managed to mitigate if not defy the NFL's built-in gravity and are never down for long.