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The relationship was called “fractured beyond repair” They were not supposed to speak for weeks.
Former Eagles coach Doug Pederson resisted these characterizations during a podcast appearance with John Clark on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“I think there is a misnomer out there that Carson and I had such a bad relationship and I never felt that way,” said Pederson.
Pederson did not specifically address the report that the defender and coach went 10 weeks without speaking during the season, a statement that seems at best an exaggeration, given the inherently close relationship between these two specific jobs.
“I understand where Carson is coming from because it is difficult,” added Pederson. “When you are the holder and things like that happen and you basically stay in the bank. Our season was not going the way we wanted to and it is difficult. It is difficult for any player to go through this. . . . You have to have the conversations, you have to have the open door policy, and you have to communicate, and I felt like we did that. . . .
Pederson, who was fired after the season, says he will continue rooting for Wentz, who will officially be traded on Wednesday.
“I still have a lot of respect [for Wentz] and we recruited him five years ago to be the guy and I’m excited to see what he does with the Colts now. And it also has a new beginning. I think this is something that players go through in their careers. . . . I know he is looking forward to it and I am excited to see his career moving forward. ”
Wentz became a candidate for MVP in 2017, and he performed well in 2018 (until the injury) and 2019 (until suffering a concussion because of an unintentional illegal hit in the playoffs). Last year, things went wrong. In 2021, we will learn more about whether the last season was an aberration or the start of a new trend.