Doug Pederson: Eagles QB Carson Wentz a Real Pro about Benching

It's not easy being the face of a franchise, only to be suddenly tossed into a backup role. But that's what happened to Carson Wentz, who now plays reserve quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles behind Jalen Hurts.

According to Eagles coach Doug Pederson, Wentz has handled it like a champ.

“Listen, that’s something that I really appreciate about Carson, how he’s handled this," Pederson told reporters. "He doesn’t want to be a distraction to the team. He wants to help the team win. That’s the bottom line."

Wentz struggled mightily, and the Eagles (4-9-1) have all but been removed from the playoff picture as a result. They basically need to win both of their final two games and hope everyone else in the NFC East loses or ties to have a chance.

At any rate, the Eagles' offense has definitely looked more organized and threatening, with Hurts behind center. All the while, Wentz has been rooting on Hurts from the sideline. There have been no signs of pouting or questioning of Pederson's decision.

"We don’t let those kinds of things creep into our thinking and try to keep them out of the locker room so it won’t divide your team," Pederson said.

Wentz's huge contract could be a problem for the Eagles this offseason. They will likely try to move him, but money might make that difficult. So it's probably a good thing that he's not made himself a distraction.

"That’s one thing that Carson has not allowed to happen,” Pederson said. “And he’s not going to let it happen. He’s been a pro about it.”