Eagles to start Carson Wentz when he's healthy

Saturday's trade of Sam Bradford to the Vikings has put a torch to the mythical concept of Carson Wentz's redshirt season in Philly.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported after the swap that Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick, will start as soon as he's healthy, according to a source informed of the team's plans.

Garafolo noted that fellow Eagles quarterback Chase Daniel was "extremely upset" when told of the decision. After backing up Bradford all summer, the veteran fully expected to take over the No. 1 job.

Like Bradford before him, though, Daniel can't ignore reality: First-round quarterbacks don't sit for long in today's NFL. Despite an offseason's worth of claims by the Eagles that Wentz would be tucked away in bubble wrap, those summertime promises are always dubious.

Wentz has been out of commission since suffering a massive hit in Philly's opening preseason tilt. Offering better size and physical traits than Daniel, though, the rookie was destined for early action as soon as Bradford was sent packing.

If Wentz is healthy enough for Week 1, it sets up a fascinating showdown with the Browns, who traded the No. 2 pick to Philly before the draft, allowing the Eagles to select their quarterback of the future.

None of this should surprise Eagles fans -- or listeners of the Around The NFL Podcast. We said for months that Wentz would play sooner than Philly's cadre of decision-makers were letting on.

That would have been true even with Bradford on the roster, but Saturday's headline-grabbing trade only hurried the inevitable.