Adrian Fedkiw
It’s going to be close.
Those were the words uttered by Carson Wentz multiple times Tuesday when asked whether or not he would be ready for the Philadelphia Eagles’ season opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 6.
“That’s my goal. I think there’s been really no secret that it’s going to be close. Seeing where I’m at in camp and finally, hopefully next week, doing 11-on-11, I think naturally it’s going to be close. Ultimately, it won’t be just my call or the coaches’ call. It will come down to what the doctors say, really.”
Wentz’s press conference came after he spoke to 94WIP’s Angelo Cataldi Tuesday morning when he was also using the “it’s going to be close” line.
“I obviously would love to be out there. That’s been my goal all offseason ever since the injury. It’s going to be close. It’s going to be close. I’m still eyeing that date. At the end of the day, it’s not just my decision. There’s coaches and doctors that really have the final say. I really like where I’m at and time will tell here.”
Wentz said the knee feels great.
“My knee feels really good. Rehab and everything has been going great. Every day it feels a little better out there. I really like where I’m at so it’s just a be patient thing.”
The plan for Wentz is to increase his workload next week and have him take part in team drills. The third-year quarterback had been participating in 11-on-11s earlier in Training Camp until the team decided to play it safe and not expose him to any further injury. Wentz has been limited to individual and 7-on-7 drills the past two weeks. Wentz explained that his return is going to come down to the doctors.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said that Wentz will be re-evaluated following Thursday night’s preseason game against the New England Patriots.
“We’ll sit down after this game and get together with our medical team … I’m excited to see where he’s at health-wise. He’s done a nice job out here already in these last couple of weeks so I’ll be curious to see where it goes from here.”
The last step for Wentz in his recovery is to be medically cleared for contact. The opener is three weeks away from Thursday.
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