The Eagles and starting quarterback Carson Wentz. got some bad news early in their home playoff game against the Seahawks. Late in the first quarter of Sunday’s wild card game, Wentz went to the locker room to reportedly be evaluated for a concussion. He exited the game after taking a big hit from Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney:
NBC Sports’ Michelle Tafoya reported that Wentz would be evaluated by the league’s concussion specialist, and he was later ruled out for the game.
Wentz’s backup, Josh McCown, entered at quarterback after Wentz left the game. Although the Eagles lost 17-9, McCown finished 18-of-24 passing with 174 yards and 23 yards rushing. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reported that Wentz’s wife was also seen being escorted to the locker room area:
Sal Paolantonio reports that Carson Wentz’s wife has been escorted to Eagles locker area.
Once Wentz was removed from medical tent to locker room for further concussion testing, it raised level of concern for @Eagles.
It’s a medical decision. No official word yet.— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) January 5, 2020
After the game, Philly head coach Doug Pederson was seen telling Seattle’s Russell Wilson that Wentz “should be fine.”
Clowney was asked by reporters about the hit, too:
Jadeveon Clowney said he didn’t think his hit on Carson Wentz was that bad, was surprised Wentz had to leave game from it. says he’s already getting ripped in person, online by Philly fans who already, um, dislike him for a hit on Nick Foles when Clowney played for HOU. #Seahawks
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) January 6, 2020
“I was just rushing the passer,” Clowney told ESPN’s Josina Anderson after the game. “It was a bang-bang play. I wasn’t trying to hurt anybody. I just play the game with a lot of enthusiasm and effort. I hope he’s OK. It was a bang-bang play.”
“I don’t intend to hurt anybody in this league, let me just put that out there,” Clowney added after the game.
Some of Wentz’s teammates had things to say to Clowney, too:
Although the hit was a hard one, referee Shawn Smith explained to reporters after the game why there was no foul for the hit:
Here’s referee Shawn Smith, per pool report, on the reason Jadeveon Clowney was not flagged for helment-to-helmet hit on Carson Wentz:
“He was a runner and he did not give himself up. We saw incidental helmet contact, and in our judgement, we didn’t rule that to be a foul.”
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) January 6, 2020
The Eagles have had a slew of injuries this season, but Philadelphia’s fourth-year quarterback has otherwise managed to stay healthy this year. It’s a stroke of bad luck for Wentz, too. Although this is the third straight season the Eagles have made the playoffs, he was out with injury the first two times.
In the 2017 season, Wentz tore his ACL late in the season. Backup quarterback Nick Foles then led the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl win. Last season, Wentz missed the final three games during the regular season with a back injury. Foles took over again and got the Eagles into the playoffs, where they lost to the Saints in the Divisional Round.
In the offseason, Foles signed with the Jaguars. McCown, who had retired, was signed to back up Wentz in August after injuries to both Nate Sudfeld and Cody Kessler.
The 40-year-old McCown had only attempted five passes all season before entering the game against the Seahawks. It was the first playoff appearance for the journeyman quarterback.
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