Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz has some deep pockets
Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.
When you think of sports on the world stage (you know, when they’re happening), there are a multitude of international stars who transcend borders and languages. You’ll find these athletes near the very top of the pay scale in terms of salary and endorsements. But you don’t have to go too far down the list to find Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, who just clocked in at #10 on Forbes’ list of the 100 highest-paid athletes in the world.
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Well, I’m impressed. Kind of surprised, perhaps, but I can see it.
When Wentz signed his ultra-rich new deal before the 2019 season, we knew that his salary would put him in the mix of top earners. Throw in a some endorsement money, and he lands just inside the top 10. Despite this, some are still in the anti-Wentz camp, not convinced of his abilities, even after the miracle that he pulled to drag the Eagles into the playoffs last season. I believe he’s halfway to being canonized St. Carson after that one.
Still, the Eagles have made a commitment to Wentz; you don’t find yourself in such affluent company by accident. The Jalen Hurts pick is a bit of a fly in the ointment, but Wentz remains the guiding light for this franchise going forward. His health will be the determining factor of that, but isn’t that the case for everyone? Nobody comes without risk, and the Eagles are in far better shape with Wentz than the Vikings are with Kirk Cousins, who sits one spot ahead of Wentz on the list. This alone should show you that pay scale isn’t exactly proportional to overall ability or value to one’s team, for those who might grouse about Wentz making so much money.
One thing you can’t argue about is the strength of Wentz’ character, something that has been on display since the day he was drafted by the Eagles. His AO1 Foundation has been invaluable to communities both local and international. It’s truly impressive that a young man was able to orchestrate such an impactful and wide-ranging operation. Wentz is keenly aware of social issues, and you can see by the way he conducts himself that there is nothing artificial about him. Oh yeah, and he’s pretty good at football.
I don’t know what exactly qualifies an athlete to be “deserving” of a top spot on a list of highest-paid athletes in the world. The group includes many NFL and NBA players, but it’s also populated by stars from other sports like tennis and soccer, ones that American sports fans don’t care as much about. It’s all relative.
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What I do know, however, is that Carson Wentz is making the absolute most of his financial windfall. Wentz himself might call it a gift, but saying “gift” downplays how hard he’s had to work for it. Such an amount of money has expectations attached to it, of course, but isn’t that the kind of incentive we want our athletes to have? Better to be paying them for what we expect them to deliver than to be still footing the bill for services already rendered. And Carson Wentz has a lot left to give.