NFL
Carson Wentz Comments on Controversial Article and Reminds Philadelphia Why He’s the Leader of the Locker Room
In a small setting, Carson Wentz spoke with a handful of reporters at the Eagles’ practice facility. For the first time, Wentz addressed an article that was published several weeks ago which sparked a media blitz. The piece heavily critiqued Wentz and not only his performance this season but also his character.
The report quoted several unnamed sources who called Wentz everything from “egotistical” to “selfish” among other accusations.
Much of the article’s claims were either unfounded or manipulated statistics. Hours after publication, a host of Eagles took to social media to defend their quarterback. The website who published the article came out with a second piece that critiqued the first, calling it “overblown.”
Reading through this Carson Wentz thing and as a leader on this team none of that is true Carson is a great teammate and great player we are all behind him 100% he’s our guy and will come back and prove the world wrong. If you got a problem feel free to @ me I’ll respond
— fletcher cox (@fcoxx_91) January 21, 2019
Whoever wrote that article needs to check their "sources". #fakenews
Carson has been and is our leader and our QB. Y'all know where to find me if you have any issues.#flyeaglesfly
— Lane Johnson (@LaneJohnson65) January 21, 2019
Despite the onslaught of commentary, there were crickets from Wentz until Monday morning.
“I Know I Have Flaws”
ESPN’s Tim McManus covered Wentz’s comments from the NovaCare facility, stating Wentz didn’t outright dismiss the story but did refute “multiple details.” When asked about the story, Wentz told reporters, “I know who I am, first of all. I know how I carry myself… I’m not perfect. I know I have flaws… So I’m not going to sit here and say it was inaccurate and completely made up. I’m not going to do that. But at the end of the day, I will say our locker room is really close. If there were guys that had issues, in hindsight, I wish we could have just talked about them.”
Wentz told reporters he found out about the article while at the breakfast table with his wife preparing to start his morning devotions. An Eagles’ media relations staff member reached out to him via text. Wentz said the report “came out of nowhere” and that he hadn’t sensed any friction in the locker room as described.
Wentz Shoots Down Accusations
After learning of and reading the report, Wentz admitted that he had initially tried to “play detective” and figure out who the unnamed sources were. After his presumably unsuccessful investigation, Wentz reached out to Mike Groh, the Eagles’ offensive coordinator he allegedly bullied.
Wentz stated, “Groh and I talked to each other that day when it came out, and I think we all know that never took place… In my opinion, he (Groh) is a very good football mind, and in my opinion, I feel like I have something to contribute, too, so I thought we had some really healthy dialogue. To say, quote, ‘bullied him,’ I’d say that’s kind of disrespectful to Groh. I don’t think anyone bullies Coach Groh.”
Regarding his accused degradation Nick Foles and the “Foles stuff,” Wentz said he never did as claimed. The article reported that Wentz had mocked the playbook for Foles and refused to use the same plays.
A Learning Experience for All
As mentioned, Wentz didn’t repudiate the report in its entirety. Wentz outlined his private reflections on the matter saying, “It’s never fun to read, but to an extent, you look at it and be like, ‘Well, if someone did have this perception of me, why? What have I done wrong? What can I get better at? … I realize I have my shortcomings. Yes, I can be selfish. I think we all have selfishness inside of us. There’s human elements to that, that I really look at and say, well, I can get better.”
He continued, “You go through the [ACL] injury, and you’re just 100 percent determined to get back, that’s, like, what my mind is on. And looking back, were there things that maybe I neglected as a teammate and as a friend because I was just so determined and that’s all that mattered?” He expanded on this thought saying he was “emotionally kind of all over the place.”
Wentz Says He “Ain’t Going to Change”
Regarding the attacks on his character, Wentz spoke candidly: “I’m 26 years old; my personality, to some extent, ain’t going to change. What’s gotten me here, what’s gotten me successful, I’m not going to say, ‘Oh, now I’m going to have this free-spirited, Cali-guy vibe.’ That’s just not going to change.”
“Any time you’re a Type A guy, there’s a fine line between being pushy and shove-y and humble and humility and walking that line… But at the same time, as a Type A, so to speak, confident person that’s confident in off-the-field things and then on the field with what we like, that’s not going to change. That’s not going to go anywhere. I think that’s something that is a positive if used correctly.”
As far as moving forward, Wentz was short and direct, stating, “I’ll learn from it and we’ll all learn that A, things shouldn’t kind of come out the way it did, and B, the pieces that I can learn from it, and be a better teammate and player and all that stuff I will grow from. But other than that just turn the page.”
Turning the page is exactly what the Eagles will do, and Philadelphians should do. The 2019 season has already begun with the books closing on Super Bowl LIII. In a moment of authentic humility, Wentz told everyone what he already knew: he’s not perfect, he’s emotionally struggled to come back after an injury, he’s not a bully, and the opinions expressed in the report are irrelevant to nonexistent.
Wentz also reminded everyone of what they once knew: he’s the leader he appears to be, it’s team first and Wentz second in his book and the future of the franchise with him at the helm is bright.
Photo Credit
Featured Image courtesy of Mark Williams
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