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Nick and Carson. Nick and Nate. Nate and Carson. They were all best friends off the pitch, they were inseparable in training and in the locker room, they were all about the same age, and hell, they even looked alike.
If Carson Wentz said it once, he’s said it a thousand times. His relationships with Nick Foles in 2017 and 2018 and Nate Sudfeld over the past four years have contributed to his success.
Doug Pederson marveled at the Eagles quarterback room and how close these guys were, how they supported each other, how they brought out the best in each other.
Now, for the first time, the dynamics have changed.
Dramatically.
Obviously, Wentz has backed Jalen Hurts, and Hurts appreciates Wentz’s help.
But everything is very different. Because Hurts and Wentz are certainly cordial, but they’re not best friends.
They haven’t had the chance to be.
Wentz last month: “As for Jalen, it has been a strange year. We have virtual meetings and all kinds of things. Developing relationships with him and everyone here has been difficult. I have a lot of respect for him as a player, as a person and as a competitor.
It hurts this week: “I know Carson and I have a strong faith. We are great believers in God and we put all our trust in him. Carson has been great, he’s been very supportive, and he has a lot of knowledge. I am always open to listening to these things.
Why is it all so important?
Quarterbacks don’t have to be best friends like Foles, Wentz, and Sudfeld, but they spend so much time together studying movies, dissecting defenses, and helping each other out when that relationship has no effect. chance to thrive because of a pandemic and the strict social distancing rules imposed by the NFL, it’s hard for that same level of trust and support to be there.
Pederson is huge on players who build interpersonal relationships and how over time that translates into improved performance.
And he said this week how much he misses that aspect of leading a football team.
How can you replicate the relationship building so essential to becoming good teammates – especially for quarterbacks – when you’re only allowed into the locker room for 15 minutes a day, when meetings are happening virtually, when you are not allowed to go out far from the establishment?
“It’s a question that I think about every day,” said Pederson. “I love having face-to-face meetings where I can see guys face to face and communicate face to face. With this pandemic and everything going virtual now, we’ve just completed a series of online meetings. It is more difficult to build the relationships you would like to form with any part of the team.
“The watch room is a good room, it’s a solid room. But at the same time, it makes things a little harder when you’re not together watching a post-workout movie or hanging out with the receivers and watching a movie or watching a practice tape. , or to hear from you. [Jason] Kelce and go through protection plans. It just makes it a little harder that way.
“We’re talking about socially distant, but we’re trying to maintain a level of trying to be more socially together the best that we can. Whether on Saturday night at the hotel on the road or even in training during walks or actual training. It’s… something I think about a lot during this time and our guys have done a great job of handling everything so far.
As for Hurts and Wentz?
It is a work in progress.
“I just saw the communication, n ° 1, in training [and] during games, ”said Pederson. “Just communication, two-way dialogue, obviously via the press [Taylor], by myself. Just that communication, and it’s the only gauge that tends to lead things in the right direction and that’s what I’ve seen.
After his first career start on Sunday, Hurts opened up about how Wentz had helped him during the game.
“Yeah, he got some advice for me,” Hurts said. “A few little things that point here and there – some looks, seeing the defense space. So he’s been really helpful this week.
They might not be best friends, but Hurts and Wentz both seem to be doing their best in a unique and difficult year.
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