Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson is naming Jalen Hurts his new starting quarterback, and the rookie will start Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Carson Wentz, the team’s franchise quarterback to this point, will back up Hurts.
“We’re not where we want to be as an offense,” Pederson said, according to the team’s website. “I looked at the whole thing and decided that for this week to look for that spark again to try to get the team over the hump, to try to get everybody playing better.”
Hurts came off the bench in the Eagles’ 30-16 loss to the Packers on Sunday and outperformed Wentz. Hurts finished 5-of-12 for 109 yards with a touchdown and an interception while rushing five times for 29 yards. Wentz ended 6-of-15 for 79 yards and was sacked four times.
“Carson is like all of us right now, he’s disappointed. He’s frustrated,” Pederson said. “He’s been a professional through it all. He supports his teammates and that’s what you want to see from him, the leader of the team. I know sometimes the quarterback gets a lot of the blame like the head coach does. It’s the good with the bad. It’s not about Carson Wentz. It’s not about one person. We know we have issues on offense and it has been a struggle for us all season. That’s where the frustration lies a little bit, but he’s been a pro and would expect nothing less.”
Wentz, 27, has been mired in the worst season of his career, entering Sunday’s game ranked first in interceptions (15) and sacks (46), 31st in completion percentage (58.1%) and 30th in yards per attempt (6.02).
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SOURCE: ESPN, Tim McManus
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