NDSU’s Carson Wentz fractures rib in first Eagles exhibition game

Remember the Eagles’ plan to trade a ton of draft picks to move up to No. 2, draft Carson Wentz, let him learn in training camp and ease into a role as the quarterback of the future? Wentz is penciled in as the team’s No. 3 quarterback for the time being. “But I think he has a pretty good handle on that”.

“He’s an aggressive athlete, so there’s going to be a time or two where he’s going to take shot”, said Reich, who played quarterback in the National Football League for 14 years.

Wentz suffered the injury when he sacked in the fourth quarter and is expected to miss the next two weeks at least.

Despite that, Reich said he thought Wentz “protected himself pretty well” during his National Football League preseason debut, noting that the 6-foot-5, 237-pound signal-caller slid for the first time in his career.

Wentz’s ribs are another setback for Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, who has fast-tracked the rookie by giving him equal practice repetitions with starter Sam Bradford and backup Chase Daniel.

As Smallwood returns to full health, he understands the emotions his roommate Carson Wentz is dealing with (even though he admitted, with a smile, that he’s never experienced the pain of a broken rib).

“I’m still kind of working my way through it”. “The goal is hopefully still in the preseason I’ll be ready to go, but you never know with these things, so we’ll have to see”. The ribs are obviously a little sore, but they’ll be alright in due time here.

Wentz did not participate in practice on Sunday, instead sitting on the sidelines observing other players. “We’ll have to see”. That list includes McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who took over the third-team snaps in front of a crowd of 17,389 at the steamy Linc. “You’ve got to get the mental reps whether you’re hurt or on the field so that’s something I’ve got to do”.

What might be more concerning than Wentz’s time off is an emerging trend of injuries.

“But I think Carson gets it”.

Smallwood knows Wentz well enough to understand how hard it is not being part of practice. It reminded fans that Wentz needs to learn about more than blitzes and reading coverages during his first season as an National Football League quarterback.

“I learned a lot, especially from me sitting out”, Smallwood said. “So I know him being the competitor he is, he’s kind of upset right now”.