The Philadelphia Eagles opened their exhibition season Thursday night, and a quick glimpse at the box score might have you figuring Carson Wentz played poorly. But if you watched much of the game, you know the guy who really struggled out there was Chase Daniel.
This article lays out the grisly details on Daniel, who took as many sacks (4) as he had completions. He ran the offense for nearly the entire first half, passing for just 15 yards. Not a good showing.
It was always a little curious that the Eagles gave Daniel a three-year, $21 million deal in the offseason, especially given that they traded up to draft Carson Wentz a short time later. Daniel isn't the quarterback of the future, and he's not the quarterback of the present (that'd be Sam Bradford, who played one series Thursday and then was quickly removed from harm's way).
Could the Eagles seriously be comfortable with him as the backup? The preseason is going to need to get a whole lot better for him for that to be the case.
It's early, and Daniel was working behind the team's second-string offensive line against Tampa Bay's starting defense. But Wentz also played behind and with reserves, and he wasn't sacked at all. He threw an interception, but was far more effective scrambling and passing the ball than the veteran.
Teams often say they want rookie quarterbacks to sit their first seasons, but we'll see. If Bradford gets hurt or struggles, it won't be surprising if Wentz is the guy in the lineup sooner rather than later, with Daniel just a curious free-agent signing that shouldn't have been made.
--Andy Richardson
