Philadelphia Eagles invest heavily with contract extension for Carson Wentz

From the moment the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Carson Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the franchise was heavily invested in its franchise quarterback. Along the way, Nick Foles led the organization to a Super Bowl victory but, with the veteran now operating elsewhere, Wentz is back to being the unquestioned centerpiece in Philadelphia and the Eagles are now financially committed to their signal-caller in a way that leaves no doubt. 

The Eagles announced a four-year contract extension for Wentz that will keep him in Philadelphia through the 2024 season and, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the deal is highly lucrative. That reporting indicates that Wentz's extension is worth $128 million (with an NFL-record $107.9 million in guaranteed money) over the four-year deal, bringing Philadelphia's total commitment to $154 million over six years with incentives that could pay Wentz up to $170 million in total. 

Those numbers are admittedly jarring, particularly given Wentz's relatively small track record of elite-level success, and the pact is similar to the record-setting contract signed by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in April. After signing the deal, Wentz reaffirmed his commitment to the organization in grand fashion. 

"I can't even explain to you how excited I am right now to be a part of this great city for this many more years," Wentz said in acknowledging the deal on Twitter. "From the moment I got drafted here, I knew this place was special."

Wentz suffered a torn ACL in December 2017, cutting an MVP-caliber season short before Foles took over and led Philadelphia to the league's ultimate prize. He did finish that season third in MVP voting, however, with 33 touchdown passes in 13 games and plenty of moments to remind the Philadelphia faithful of his immense talent. With that said, Wentz missed three additional games with a back ailment in 2018 and, even with full participation in offseason activities this summer, it will be interesting to see how he responds over the course of the full 2019 season. 

For the foreseeable future, Wentz will be significantly responsible for the performance of the Eagles on the field and, for better or worse, he will be compensated for his importance to the franchise.