The 2020 NFL Draft was the beginning of the end for the Philadelphia Eagles. The team was not expected to even look at drafting a Quarterback early in the draft, but they drafted former Heisman finalist QB Jalen Hurts in the 53rd overall pick in the draft. This sent shockwaves through the NFL world, heavily impacting former Eagles franchise quarterback Carson Wentz.

In most people’s eyes, the eagles already had their Quarterback of the future: Carson Wentz.  Now-former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and General Manager Howie Roseman held a press conference right after taking Hurts, during which Roseman said they wanted to build a “Quarterback Factory,” a statement he would later regret.

Throughout the offseason, the QB controversy speculation about the Jalen Hurts pick cooled down a little bit, but started to heat up again in the weeks leading up to the 2020 NFL season. During week one, things started riling up in Philadelphia as the Eagles took on the Washington Football Team. The first two quarters looked amazing for Wentz and the Eagles offense as they were leading the game 17-0, but things went downhill for the Eagles as Wentz threw two straight interceptions. Week after week, Wentz and the Eagles looked horrible on offense. The calls from fans to put Jalen Hurts in the game grew louder and louder. Halfway through the season, the Eagles were 3-4-1 and Wentz was not playing, but the Eagles were riddled with injuries which contributed to Wentz’s bad play.

Jalen Hurts was put in every other play for the Eagles and was treated essentially as a gadget player, leading to a lot of fans wanting more. 

Then hit week 13: the Eagles had just lost their third straight game and Wentz was still not playing well, which led to calls for Wentz to be fired. After the first three quarters of the game, the eagles pulled Wentz and played Hurts. 

The next day, Head Coach Doug Pederson announced that Hurts would start for the rest of the season. Hurts went 1-3 as a starter and played very well for a rookie, although the Eagles finished 4-11-1, which was the sixth worst record in the league and worst season record-wise since 2012.

One week after the end of the NFL season, speculation began about whether Wentz was really a franchise Quarterback and if Pederson was still a coach. The relationship between Wentz and Pederson was reportedly “fractured” and the two didn’t speak for weeks. 

Then, the Eagles fired head coach Doug Pederson after five seasons and a 42-37-1 record with a 4-2 playoff record 46-39-1 overall and a Super Bowl Title. 

The Eagles hired Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni, the offensive coordinator under former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, as Pederson’s replacement. People thought it was a guarantee that Wentz was going to remain with the Eagles and play out his contract because of Siranni’s relationship to Reich. . However, Wentz reportedly “didn’t believe the relationship with the Eagles was fixable”. The Eagles began listening to trade offers for Wentz and from the gate, the two teams who were expected to make a strong push for Wentz were the Bears and Colts. 

On February 18, 2021, the Eagles finally agreed to trade QB Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional second-round pick that could turn into a first-round pick. Once again, Howie Roseman messed up and let down the majority of the Eagles fan base. The Eagles were at the top of the NFL just three years ago, and this year were one of the worst teams in the NFL, because they continuously failed to surround Wentz with the right pieces and weapons on offense. 

Many Eagles fans like myself are now looking to the future. With promising starting QB Jalen Hurts. It’s clear that the Eagles are getting younger and are heading into rebuild mode. Eagles fans, get excited: we have a new QB, head coach, and brand new staff, with young and gritty receivers eager to prove themselves. Let’s be optimistic and see what the future holds.