All signs are pointing towards Carson Wentz getting a new contract this summer. Howie Roseman confirmed this during an appearance on 94 WIP earlier this month.
“This is something that we are planning to do and if the deal is right for us, and the deal is right for Carson, we wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on that. That’s just the amount of confidence we have and we want to build this team knowing kind of what that piece is in place and go forward.”
Yes I know, Wentz hasn’t been able to finish the last two seasons due to injury, but signing him now makes sense for a few reasons.
First, he’ll never be cheaper than he is right now. Unless, of course, he suffers another season ending injury this season. Fingers crossed.
Right now, he’s projected to make anywhere between 28 to 30 million per year if he signs a new deal. To put that into perspective, that would slot him as the fourth of fifth highest paid QB in the league annually. That’s a pretty reasonable price for both sides.
It won’t kill the Eagles cap wise, so Howie will still be able to bolster his roster through free agency, something he’s been excellent at in recent years. And with rumors continuing to swirl about to departure of Joe Douglas, the Eagles vice president of player personnel, who’s influence on the draft is larger than Howie’s; continuing to add talent through free agency will be key to this team’s success.
Usually when an elite QB signs one of these mega deals, the rest of the roster suffers. Russell Wilson’s and Aaron Rodger’s teams are prime examples of this. You’d be hard pressed to name one or two difference makers on either of their respective offenses.
Rodgers has Davante Adams, a washed-up Jimmy Graham, and an aging offensive line. Wilson’s best weapon is a 5-foot-10 receiver who will probably be forced to replace Doug Baldwin in the slot this year in Tyler Lockett.
Wentz has arguably the best supporting cast of offensive weapons in the entire NFL, and the team still has enough cap space to make him one of the top-5 highest paid QBs in the league this offseason. Hats off to Howie for being the cap wizard that he is.
We also can’t forget that the market is ever changing in the NFL. Russell Wilson may be crowned as the highest paid player in the league this offseason, but next offseason that honor will likely be given to someone else, perhaps Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. He’s reportedly going to be offered a contract worth up to $200 million next offseason.
If that happens, it’ll raise the QB market substantially. So, if Howie opted to sign Wentz next offseason while Mahomes is getting his new contract, Wentz would probably end up making closer to $33-$34 million per season or possibility even more.
The Eagles are committed to Wentz, and whether you agree with that or not, they’ve made their stance on him pretty clear. I understand the skepticism behind giving him a new contract this offseason with his injury history, but it’s in the Birds’ best interest to get him locked up sooner than later.
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