Back-to-back seasons, Carson Wentz stood on the sidelines as the Philadelphia Eagles battled in the playoffs, helpless to aid his teammates on the field due to injury.
With Nick Foles gone to Jacksonville, the security behind Wentz is reduced, making it vital for Philly's 2019 prospects that the franchise signal-caller stay healthy.
As the Eagles open offseason conditioning, Wentz said Monday he's running and throwing some after suffering a back injury that wiped out the end of his 2018 campaign. The 26-year-old said he's "week-to-week" and hopeful to be ready by OTAs, which begin on May 21.
"That's the goal. That's the goal," he said. "But there really is no timetable, no rush. But I feel good with the progression I've been on."
Wentz missed the Eagles' final three regular-season games and Philly's playoff run with a stress fracture in his back.
"It's still getting there. It's still getting there," he responded when asked if the back was fully healed. "Some of this stuff just takes time, but that's not really the main concern, it's just kind of how I feel. I feel pretty good with where I'm at."
Wentz's rookie year got off to a wonky start after a preseason rib injury, but he didn't miss a regular-season start in 2016. In 2017, he famously tore his ACL during an MVP-caliber campaign, missing the Eagles' Super Bowl run. Last year, he broke his back.
Wentz said Monday he understands why people might question his durability, but it's not something that worries him for the future.
"I get it. I get it," he said. "I'm looking forward to putting those (questions) behind me. I understand it's a part of this league, it's a physical league and things happen. But it's one of those things that's out of my control, and I look forward to putting that behind me."
When healthy, Wentz has shown he can be a top-shelf NFL signal-caller. His first step toward proving he can stay out of the rehab room hopefully will come in a month during OTAs.
