PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles are going with Nick Foles at quarterback for at least one more week, coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday.
Pederson said Carson Wentz still is not cleared for contact, meaning Foles will again be under center for Sunday's road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The most common prediction from those who have weighed in on the quarterback situation is that Wentz will return from his ACL/LCL injury in Week 3, when the Eagles host the Indianapolis Colts.
First, Wentz needs to be medically cleared for contact. All indications are that the team is pleased with where Wentz is physically, but have taken the long view when it comes to their franchise quarterback, whom they hope will lead them for the next decade-plus.
Pederson said Wentz is doing "great" and continues to take part in team drills by working with the scout team in practice. According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, the player-tracking data that the Eagles utilize indicates that Wentz has hit a vital threshold -- the ability to protect himself.
"That's correct," said Pederson, when asked if Wentz's GPS data is trending in a positive direction. "That's what we've seen, really, since he came back into 11-on-11 as training camp progressed: his lower body strength, his upper-body strength all trending in the right direction."
Foles is at the controls for the time being. The reigning Super Bowl MVP was not in top form during an opening-night win over the Atlanta Falcons, going 19-of-34 for 117 yards with an interception. He split reps with Wentz for a good portion of training camp, including the week prior to the opener, which could have contributed to a bumpy start.
"If anything, I think it might affect timing a little bit with guys," Pederson said of Foles not getting the full complement of reps. "But you're talking about two veteran players. I thought Nick had a really good week of practice last week leading into the game. You've got to give credit to Atlanta defensively ... so it's a little of both. But Nick gets better each week, and the more reps he gets, just continues to get better."
This week, he faces a Bucs team that topped the New Orleans Saints 48-40 on Sunday.
Pederson said Carson Wentz still is not cleared for contact, meaning Foles will again be under center for Sunday's road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The most common prediction from those who have weighed in on the quarterback situation is that Wentz will return from his ACL/LCL injury in Week 3, when the Eagles host the Indianapolis Colts.
First, Wentz needs to be medically cleared for contact. All indications are that the team is pleased with where Wentz is physically, but have taken the long view when it comes to their franchise quarterback, whom they hope will lead them for the next decade-plus.
Pederson said Wentz is doing "great" and continues to take part in team drills by working with the scout team in practice. According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, the player-tracking data that the Eagles utilize indicates that Wentz has hit a vital threshold -- the ability to protect himself.
"That's correct," said Pederson, when asked if Wentz's GPS data is trending in a positive direction. "That's what we've seen, really, since he came back into 11-on-11 as training camp progressed: his lower body strength, his upper-body strength all trending in the right direction."
Foles is at the controls for the time being. The reigning Super Bowl MVP was not in top form during an opening-night win over the Atlanta Falcons, going 19-of-34 for 117 yards with an interception. He split reps with Wentz for a good portion of training camp, including the week prior to the opener, which could have contributed to a bumpy start.
"If anything, I think it might affect timing a little bit with guys," Pederson said of Foles not getting the full complement of reps. "But you're talking about two veteran players. I thought Nick had a really good week of practice last week leading into the game. You've got to give credit to Atlanta defensively ... so it's a little of both. But Nick gets better each week, and the more reps he gets, just continues to get better."
This week, he faces a Bucs team that topped the New Orleans Saints 48-40 on Sunday.
