Carson Wentz after record-setting contract extension: 'I'm just as hungry as ever'
Despite multiple health issues and still having ample time to get a deal done, the Philadelphia Eagles have committed to quarterback Carson Wentz.
Wentz signed a $128 million, four-year extension with the Eagles last week, keeping him under contract with the organization through 2024. More than $107 million of his deal is guaranteed, making it the largest guarantee for a quarterback in league history.
While he still had plenty of time to figure out an extension — he was still on his rookie deal after completing his third season in the league — Wentz saw the new deal as beneficial for both sides, which is why he went for it now.
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“It was something I think both sides wanted to get done,” Wentz said Monday. “I knew I wanted this to be home for a long time, and ever since being drafted it’s felt like home.
“As soon as we found something that was a win-win and really a fair opportunity, I jumped at it. I love this place. I want to be here for a while. I feel like it was a good time.”
A record-setting deal like that could add a significant amount of pressure to any NFL player. Wentz, though, insisted he isn’t going to let that bother him on the field. That pressure, he said, is what he signed up for by joining the league.
“For me, that’s not going to change how I prepare, how I focus, how I go out and compete every game,” Wentz said. “You just kind of have to block it out a little bit and just keep doing what you know how to do, and that’s just keep getting better every single day. The pressure is always going to be there, so never let it bog me down.”
Wentz has had a successful start in Philadelphia when he has been on the field.
After throwing for nearly 3,800 yards and 16 touchdowns in his rookie season, Wentz led the Eagles to an 11-2 start and picked up Pro Bowl honors in 2017. He tore his ACL and LCL in Week 13 that season, however, and had to take a back seat while Nick Foles finished the job and led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win against the New England Patriots.
Wentz played in 11 games last season before calling it a year with a stress fracture in his back.
The Eagles, though, have committed to Wentz as their quarterback — and he’s eager to live up to the expectations that come with his new contract.
“I’m going to be the hard working guy, blue collar guy,” Wentz said. “That’s never going to change ... I’m just as hungry as ever.”
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