A hairline fracture in his ribs hasn't put all that much of a pause on quarterback Carson Wentz's development.
From a preparation standpoint, in fact, things didn't really change for the rookie quarterback when he sat out of last Thursday's preseason shutout against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"(I did the) same thing I'd be doing if I was dressed, just on the sideline," Wentz said. "I was locked in. I was trying to help Sam (Bradford) and Chase (Daniel) and McLeod (Bethel-Thompson) when they were in there. I was trying to communicate things, see things, pretend as if I were in there."
Wentz's debut against Tampa Bay provided fans at Lincoln Financial Field with a glimpse of Wentz's physical yet agile brand of play on multiple occasions. He didn't shy away from contact either, taking a few hard hits throughout the course of the game before ultimately sustaining the injury in the third quarter. Wentz knows that moving forward he'll have to shield himself away from contact to stay as durable as possible, but he's not going to change too much about his playing style.
"It's not going to change the way I play. I'm not going to back away from anything," Wentz said. "At the same time I'm still learning how to control myself and take care of the body, protect myself a little more and that's something I've just got to keep doing the rest of my career."
Recovering from an injury isn't a brand new concept for Wentz either. A broken wrist didn't stop him from winning his second-straight national championship as a starter at North Dakota State (the school's fifth-straight title). After suffering the injury six games into his senior season, Wentz battled back and returned for the National Championship matchup against Jacksonville State and led the Bison to a 37-10 victory.
Wentz admitted that his injury last year prepared him for the experience he's going through now.
"I kind of know what it takes and just kind of fight through it and I'll be out there hopefully sooner than later," Wentz stated. "It's hard but that's where my faith comes in. I have to rely on my faith and the Lord working through it. I'm trying to make the most of whatever opportunities I can."
Despite missing some game action, being on the bench hasn't curved Wentz's learning process much at all. He trusts the mental reps he gets on the sidelines will only help him make better decisions on the field in the long run.
"I get quite a bit (from mental reps)," Wentz acknowledged. "As long as you're locked in. I'm always asking the coaches 100 questions. I'm always trying to understand what's happening. I'm always trying to pretend I'm in there and what I would maybe change or what would my read be."
For Wentz, some of the daily activities are no issue and he's easing back into the routine of throwing. It's safe to say that he's very eager to make his return, whenever that may be.
"I was really excited for the preseason. I knew I'd get my chance to finally go out there and play," Wentz said. "That was cut a little short but it is what it is. I know everything happens for a reason so I'm just trying to make the most of these mental reps and still get better at the same time."
The big question now is when exactly Wentz will return. Head coach Doug Pederson offered an update before Monday's practice began, saying things remain virtually the same as far as seeing where the quarterback is every day.
"He threw a little bit pre-practice (on Saturday). He threw some during the practice, but not in the drills," Pederson said. "He was on the side. Again, he's sore, which is expected. So we're just going to back him down again today, and it's still a day-to-day injury."
No. 11 still intends to play in the final game of his first preseason on September 1 against the New York Jets, but only time will tell whether or not the North Dakota State product is able to suit up for the preseason finale in front of the Philadelphia fans.
