Philadelphia Eagles: What does Carson Wentz mean to Philadelphia?

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz’s 2017 season may be finished, but the impact he has made on the City of Brotherly Love is larger than life.

Philadelphia Eagles fans have now have had some time to digest the loss of quarterback Carson Wentz. This loss, without a doubt, is a tough one; as the MVP frontrunner was leading the charge for the 11-2 Eagles.

For a team and a fanbase that has endured so much heartbreak over the years, Wentz offered them one thing they could cling to, and that was hope. He gave Philadelphia fans hope. Hope that maybe one day that monkey will finally come off of our back’s with a Super Bowl coming to the city of brotherly love.

Ever since Donovan McNabb was traded to the Redskins in April of 2010, the Eagles have strived to find their next franchise quarterback; and at the same time find the same success McNabb had over his time in Philadelphia.

Love McNabb or hate him, and even though he never won the big game, you can not deny his success while running the show for the Eagles. Five NFC championship games in 11 seasons is absolutely nothing to sneeze at.

Ever since the Eagles walked off the field in Arizona, after losing the NFC Championship game in 2009, the fans have longed to get back to that stage. They have longed to get to the doorstep of the big game. If the past eight years have taught Eagles fans anything, it is to appreciate success when you have it, because there is no guarantee of how long it will last.

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In the time period since McNabb was traded, the Eagles have had three head coaches and six different starting quarterbacks. They have seen some success like in 2010 and 2013, but nothing close to the dominance they showed back in the early 2000s.

Fans have been given the hope that Michael Vick had another run in him, but he failed to take the Eagles close to anything promising in his four seasons as the starter. While in 2013 it looked like Nick Foles was the answer at quarterback, but a broken collarbone and a trade to the Rams later, and the carousel would continue.

Years of hope to only come crashing down seemed like a theme in Philadelphia. Whether it be championship aspirations crushed in the playoffs, or a good Eagles team failing to perform and missing the postseason entirely, it seemed that year after year, fans walked away from the season disappointed.

All the fans wanted was hope, someone or something that could help fans believe that maybe this would be the answer.

That gift came on April 28, 2016, when the Eagles selected Wentz with the number two overall pick. As Wentz stood on stage holding an Eagles jersey, fans’ minds envisioned Wentz standing up there holding a Vince Lombardi trophy one day.

That was what the drafting of Wentz meant to this city, it gave them someone to believe in. They knew they had someone who had a chance at being “the guy.” The city of Philadelphia took little time in taking Wentz in as one of their own.

2016 presented all different kinds of moments. While Wentz may have looked like a rookie at times, there were other times when you would just look on in amazement and marvel at what this kid could do.

Even though the 2016 season didn’t result in a playoff berth, the city had something to hold their head’s high about. They have felt that the Eagles have found their guy that could lead them for the next ten years.

As good of a player that Wentz is, he is just as good as a person. Obviously, his fearless play earned the respect of his fans and teammates, but his character is what made this city fall in love with Wentz.

Going into 2017, there were high expectations surrounding Wentz and the Eagles. But no one in the world could have envisioned the success that they would have. Wentz would lead the league in touchdown passes, and the Eagles established themselves as the class of the NFC. A long way from where they were not too long ago.

It seemed like Wentz had given the Eagles fans what they wanted so desperately, hope. Those visions of Wentz standing proud holding a championship trophy now didn’t seem so far-fetched.

But so much of that came crashing down when Wentz tore his ACL against the Rams. That was a blow that just took the air out of all of the positivity surrounding this team, and the days that would ensue were a rough one across the Philadelphia sports landscape.

It seemed that bad luck has struck the Eagles once again, but with Wentz out, their Super Bowl aspirations are nowhere near dead. This is still one of the best teams in the NFC, and if they can get home field advantage, then anything is possible.

If the casual sports fan did not know what Wentz meant to the city of Philadelphia, just scrolling through Twitter following Wentz’s injury would tell you just that. This city loves Wentz, and they look at him like they looked at some of the greats in Philadelphia.

If Wentz’s injury shows you one thing, it shows you how much admiration these fans have for Wentz. The Eagles and their fans are rallying around him, and are hoping to make a run for him.

Even though this should be Wentz leading the Eagles into the playoffs, it is not. Sometimes life is not fair and bad things happen to the best of people, and Wentz could not be any better of a person on and off of the field.

Starting now, and going into the postseason, the Eagles will rally for Wentz, who will be there with them every step of the way. This is what he started and now it is up to Foles and company to finish this special run.

Philadelphia knows they have their guy who will be the face of the franchise for the next ten years. They have hope that something special is in store because of what Wentz brings to the table.

Even though Wentz will not be on the field for the remainder of the season, his impact on this city will never go unnoticed. This was his year, and even though he can’t finish it, he has given fans hope that there will be many more seasons like this one.

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This city loves their quarterback and wants to win it in 2017 more than ever for him. And how special would it be if Wentz makes his return on that opening Thursday night in 2018 as the Eagles are celebrating a championship? Oh just imagine that.

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