The Eagles announced on Monday that the team exercised the fifth-year option on franchise quarterback Carson Wentz's contract for the 2020 season.
The second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Wentz has completed 63.7 percent of his pass attempts for 10,152 yards, 70 touchdown passes, and a 92.5 QB rating in 40 career games. His peers named him as the No. 3 player in the entire league on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.
The 26-year-old Wentz was the first Eagles quarterback to be a Week 1 starter in his rookie season since 1939. He set the Eagles' franchise record and NFL rookie record with 379 completions, and he produced fourth-highest passing yardage total (3,782) in a single season in team history.
Wentz followed up his stellar rookie campaign with a season for the ages. Wentz finished third in the MVP voting as he guided the Eagles to an 11-2 record to put the team on track to win Super Bowl LII. In his 13 starts, Wentz set the franchise single-season record for touchdown passes with 33. He became just the third quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 33 touchdowns and no more than seven interceptions through 13 games.
A Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro, Wentz was the best third-down and red zone quarterback in the NFL in 2017. He had a 116.0 passer rating in the red zone and was the first quarterback with at least 20 touchdowns (23) against no interceptions or sacks inside the opponents' 20-yard line since Drew Brees in 2007. On the NFL's money down, Wentz posted the best passer rating (123.7) and had the most touchdowns (14), yards per attempt (9.5), and first down percentage (49.2%).
In his third NFL season, Wentz made his debut in Week 3 after returning from a knee injury. In 11 games, Wentz set the franchise record for completion percentage (69.6%) and amassed a career-high 102.2 passer rating. Wentz joined Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to record at least 30 pass attempts and a 115.0 passer rating in four consecutive games. At one point, Wentz had 180 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, the longest such streak by an Eagle since 2013. Against the Giants on November 25, 2018, Wentz helped the Eagles overcome a 19-3 first-half deficit to earn his fourth career fourth-quarter comeback. It was the largest come-from-behind win since the 2014 season opener against Jacksonville (17 points).
As much as Wentz has established himself as a leader as a two-time team captain voted upon by his teammates, he has set an example off the field as well, leveraging his platform to help those in need through the Carson Wentz AO1 Foundation.
Wentz was a member of five FCS National Championship teams at North Dakota State, including the starter for the final two. The Bison were 20-3 with Wentz at the helm of the offense. The Eagles traded up twice in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft to have the opportunity to select the franchise-altering talent. First, the Eagles moved up five spots from No. 13 to No. 8 in a trade with the Miami Dolphins before catapulting to No. 2 through a blockbuster deal with the Cleveland Browns.
