If anyone in this world knows what it’s like to be a young and promising rookie quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s Donovan McNabb. That’s exactly why the retired quarterback has some advice he hopes Carson Wentz takes to heart during his career in Philadelphia.
McNabb wasn’t always on the Wentz bandwagon. This past offseason, McNabb wasn’t sure if the Wentz move was A. worth it and B. smart. Let’s just say Wentz leading the Eagles to a 4-2 start has McNabb feeling pretty happy to be wrong.
“I’ve said this from the very beginning, that I still felt the decision that was made of moving up and drafting a guy after you just paid Sam Bradford that money, it sends a bad message to Sam, it sends a bad message to everyone, because it’s confusing. And when they decided, after they said Sam was going to be the starter, in the last preseason game, to trade Sam to Minnesota, it’s kind of like, I don’t get it,” McNabb said during a conversation with ESPN. “But now, what he’s been showing is the fact that it was the right move. They have a quarterback for the future if he continues to stay healthy, if he continues to progress. I like what I’m seeing from him in the pocket. He has the ability to use his legs. But you can definitely tell there’s a bright future with this kid.”
Those are some strong quotes from McNabb, and also some great praise for Wentz as well. Especially since according to McNabb, the two haven’t spoken since a phone call before the Draft.
Both were picked second overall by the Eagles, but one has performed much better than the other during his rookie season. Through six games, Wentz has a completion percentage of 63.8%, 1,324 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and just three interceptions.
During his rookie campaign, McNabb wasn’t as impressive. McNabb appeared in 12 games and made six starts with the Eagles, going 2-4 in games he started. McNabb completed just 49.1% of his passes, racked up 948 yards, threw eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions during those 12 contests.
In short, Wentz has done much better than McNabb in his first season.
“Some people have to learn it for themselves,” said McNabb, when asked about lessons applicable to what Wentz faces. “First and foremost for him, don’t ride the wave. Don’t get caught up in all the love and everything that’s going on, the hoopla right now, because when things go south, you’ll find that you’ll go from the darling to the goat. You will be the one that everyone points the finger at and looks at sideways. But that’s the quarterback position. … It’s an opportunity where you learn, you learn on the run, you learn in the workplace, of — you go from a high to a low quickly and you may not even be prepared for it.”
While Wentz has been great so far, McNabb isn’t quick to compare his career to Wentz’s. After all, McNabb wasn’t a fan of that as a player.
“I hated being compared to anybody,” McNabb said. “And I talk to Dak on a consistent basis, and I know that Jon Gruden has come out and said that he reminds him of a young Donovan McNabb. And I’ve always told Dak, ‘Be yourself.’ I’m not going to compare him to anybody. I just think Dak is a guy who is putting his name out on the map, where people are beginning to recognize him instead of comparing him to everyone else.”
McNabb and Dak Prescott being compared to each other and having a good relationship comes into play this weekend. Prescott is the rookie quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and he’ll go up against Wentz and the Eagles this weekend. In fact, Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews thinks the rivalry between the two could turn into the modern day Peyton Manning/Tom Brady rivalry, and upon looking at each player’s numbers, that comparison makes sense.
Over his first five games of the season, Wentz was arguably one of the most accurate passers in the league. However, over his last two, Wentz has an off-target rate of 34%, the highest rate of misfires in the NFL. Meanwhile, Prescott has been consistent all season. Here is how the two compare thus far:
Wentz: 6 GS (4-2 record overall), 63.8% completion percentage, 1,324 passing yards, 8 TDs, 3 INTs.
Prescott: 6 GS (5-1 record overall), 68.7% completion percentage, 1,486 passing yards, 7 TDs, 1 INTs.
Both rookie quarterbacks have started off strong for their respective teams despite neither being the first QB off the board. And while McNabb may be closer with Prescott, more often than not reporters will likely ask McNabb about Wentz simply because they played for the same team.
“They just have to continue to build around him, and that’s something that [personnel executive] Howie Roseman and [coach] Doug Pederson are going to have to be able to come together and be able to aid in that. I think it’s going to be important that they kind of have the mentality of what Andy [Reid] had — to continue to build in the trenches, in the offensive line and defensive line, and then to build out,” McNabb said.
The Eagles and Cowboys are slated to face off on Sunday Night Football this Sunday at 8:30 PM EST in Dallas.
[ESPN]