Carson Wentz morphed into a raging, star quarterback on national television Monday night.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson, though, sees Wentz in the mold of someone else entirely:
"A little bit of Brett Favre, honestly," Pederson said Tuesday, per CBS Sports,. "He's got that mentality, he's got that aggressiveness that Brett had. Those are some of the skill sets that I see in Carson. That aggression, that ability to throw the ball down the field. And listen, I love quarterbacks that are willing to take a chance, take a calculated risk down the field. Favre was that way, and I see a lot of the same characteristics in Carson."
Pederson would know, having played under Favre in Green Bay from 1995 to 1998. Where the comparison matches up is Wentz's willingness to take shots downfield and his rare ability to create jaw-dropping plays when all feels lost.
"And one of the things that Brett was able to do, and you're seeing it with Carson, is just elevate the play around him," Pederson added, per USA Today's Eagles Wire. "And the thing is he doesn't feel like, he being Carson, doesn't feel like he's got to make every play because he's got the guys around him to help him make those plays. And, listen, as long as he stays in that mind frame and that state of mind, he could definitely go on to have a fine season, which he is definitely off to a good start, a lot of ball left obviously.
"But, yeah, you're seeing some of the same things that I saw in Brett in Carson: the toughness, the good, accurate throws, and eyes are down the field extending plays with his legs. And probably the one biggest difference is probably Brett was always referred to as 'the gunslinger' with a big arm that would just rip it in there. Carson's a little more calculated, but yet very accurate passer as well."
In a season where starting quarterbacks and star players have been lost in droves to injury, Wentz has hit the scene as one of the league's bright, new hopes under center.
He has the feel of a quarterback who could be with us for years to come, the kind of player Philadelphia can pencil in under center autumn after autumn. It will be fascinating to watch what the Eagles become with Wentz at the wheel.
