What should the Eagles do at QB in 2021? Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts or draft pick could be Philadelphia's answer

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The Eagles are stuck.

In some ways, it can't be bad to have a former No. 2 overall pick and a Heisman Trophy runner-up as your two quarterback options, and that's what Philadelphia has in Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts. But Wentz's struggles and questions about Hurts' long-term viability as a passer, along with a poor 2020 season in general, bring up the discussion of the Eagles' future at the quarterback position. The simplest answer, though, is this: Wentz and Hurts are the future. Wentz's contract and Hurts' recent draft position make it unlikely that Philadelphia will have a different starter by choice, at least through the end of 2020 and into 2021.

All bets are off if the Eagles choose to make sweeping changes to their coaching staff and front office, but with the current group in place, it's pretty much a choice between Wentz and Hurts. Below, we dive further in to the reasons Philadelphia's near-term QB future is pretty much a binary decision.

MORE: What Jalen Hurts' expanded offensive role might mean for Eagles offense

Can the Eagles trade or release Carson Wentz?

Our own Vinnie Iyer broke Wentz's contract down in detail earlier this season, and the short answer Iyer arrived at was this: The Eagles are likely locked into Wentz's contract through at least the 2021 season. 

Wentz is technically signed through 2024, but there are ways to save some money while releasing Wentz early. Here's what Iyer wrote:

Philadelphia has its first reasonable out from Wentz's contract in 2022. Should the Eagles cut him before June 1, they would eat $24.547 million in dead money toward the cap but also save $6.727 million. But they could designate him for a post June 1 release, which would increase the cap savings to $22 million, or all of his base salary for that year.

In 2023, the Eagles would be down to $15.273 million if they cut him and would recoup $21 million against the cap with a cut during free agency in March. That would be Wentz's age 31 season.

That eliminates the idea of a quick release. But that doesn't mean the Eagles need to stick with Wentz as the starter through the end of 2021. Hurts was chosen in the 2020 second round for a reason, and if he shows the proper development, he could turn into the starter sooner rather than later.

Starting Hurts with Wentz still on the roster would give Philadelphia a very expensive backup, but it's rare that big-money QBs are traded with still so much money left to be paid to them. Former Eagles quarterback Nick Foles was traded from Jacksonville to Chicago in the 2020 offseason, and Foles restructured his deal to make that happen. But Wentz is due even more money, making a restructuring that much trickier.

There are always teams looking for good quarterback play, and maybe a few view Wentz as worth the price tag. Such a trade likely wouldn't come until near the deadline in 2021, though, since the Eagles would surely want to see an extended period of Hurts performing well as a starter before getting rid of their former No. 2 overall pick. 

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Will Jalen Hurts start at QB for the Eagles?

The likely scenario is that Hurts starts for the Eagles eventually. What's less clear is how soon such a day might come.

Hurts has already played a sort of gadget role in his rookie 2020 season, and he's reportedly received first-team reps ahead of Week 12 to at least take some work off Wentz's plate. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll start before the year is out, but it shows he's developed in such a way that some in Philadelphia have confidence in him.

It wasn't obvious during Hurts' time at Alabama that he was a future NFL starting quarterback, but he improved his completion percentage to 69.7 percent while rushing for more than 1,000 yards and throwing for nearly 4,000 in his lone year at Oklahoma. That improved accuracy (which stemmed from better mechanics) set Hurts up to be a legitimate quarterback prospect in the lead-up to the 2020 draft.

Hurts was the fifth quarterback off the board in 2020 after Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jordan Love. There was risk with Hurts based on his run-heavy background, but he also entered an NFL that embraces dual-threat QBs now more than ever.

A second-round selection wouldn't have been used on Hurts if he was viewed by the Eagles as a Taysom Hill-like gadget player. No, they definitely picture Hurts starting for them someday. The only question is, "When?"

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Will the Eagles draft a QB in 2021?

Unlike a number of the teams with poor records in 2020 (Jets and Jaguars come to mind), the Eagles aren't prime prospects to pick a quarterback in the 2021. Wentz's contract likely is on the books for a minimum of one more season, and Hurts was just taken in the second round.

Philadelphia's bigget temptation in the 2021 draft would come if the Eagles continue to lose and pick near the top-five (a division win would mean the Eagles likely pick No. 19). A top-five pick gives Philadelphia an outside shot at Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, and maybe the first pick of whoever the third quarterback off the board would be. If the Eagles felt strongly about any of Trey Lance (North Dakota State), Mac Jones (Alabama), Kyle Trask (Florida) or Zach Wilson (BYU), they'd probably have their choice in the picks 4-8 range. 

What seems more likely based on how locked in Wentz and Hurts are would be a later-round quarterback selection or waiting to choose a QB in the draft again until 2022. A developmental quarterback in 2021 to eventually become Hurts' backup could be someone like Kellen Mond (Texas A&M), Brock Purdy (Iowa State) or Sam Ehlinger (Texas). In 2022, Kedon Slovis (USC) and Sam Howell (North Carolina) are two early favorites to be near the top of quarterback rankings.

The only way this answer changes in a major way is if the Eagles find a method to move on from Wentz ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. If he's gone, it'd make sense for Philadelphia to spend a relatively early pick to find competition and/or insurance for Hurts.

The Eagles could also turn to free agency if they ship out Wentz, with Mitchell Trubisky, Cam Newton, Philip Rivers, Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Fitzpatrick forming potential veteran stopgap options while Hurts continues to develop.

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