The Philadelphia Eagles looked like their 2017 NFL season was spiraling down the toilet when franchise quarterback Carson Wentz went down with an ACL tear. However, something happened, and the team rallied together and ended up not only making it to the Super Bowl but also winning it by beating the New England Patriots. Some wondered if Nick Foles, who was the Super Bowl MVP, was going to stick around Philadelphia after that performance, and he did. That made some Eagles fans happy since there was no guarantee that Wentz would be recovered for the start of the regular season.
Those fans were wrong.
Carson Wentz at the OTAs
Experts were not sure if Carson Wentz was going to be ready for the start of the 2018 NFL season. The Philadelphia Eagles were not giving anyone any news one way or the other either. However, at the first day of the 2018 offseason OTAs, over three months before the start of the 2018 NFL season, Carson Wentz was on the field throwing the ball with his teammates. Not only was Wentz at the OTAs, but he looked really good for someone coming off a torn LCL and ACL in his left knee.
Carson Wentz is not cleared to practice, so he did not take part in the actual OTA practices. However, Wentz did go out on the field during the warmups with his Philadelphia Eagles teammates for 20 minutes.
He also threw the ball some and worked on moving around in the pocket. When asked about the injury and his performance on Tuesday, Wentz said that he needs to learn to trust his knee again and that is coming over time, day after day. He also said he is making good strides and he won’t practice in the spring but wants to be ready for preseason.
Carson Wentz showing some decent mobility as he gets some pre-practice work in. pic.twitter.com/QI0Gjw6ykF
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) May 22, 2018
2018 Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson (a former quarterback himself) said that this is all part of the rehabilitation of Carson Wentz. He said that the quarterback is working on getting back to 100-percent and things change on a daily basis concerning what Wentz is allowed to do on a certain day.
The timetable to recover from an ACL tear is nine to 12 months. It has been five months since his injury in December against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Philadelphia Eagles open the 2018 NFL season against the Atlanta Falcons and that game is less than nine months from the time of his injury. That seems tough, but Carson Wentz said that is his target date to return – ready to lead his Eagles in their defense of the Super Bowl Championship from Day 1. If he is not back by then, Nick Foles is still there as the insurance.