Eagles Fans Have No Shortage Of Opinions As Quarterback Controversy Heats Up Between Wentz And Hurts
RUNNEMEDE, N.J. (CBS) -- Jalen Hurts gave the Eagles a spark off the bench Sunday but it wasn't enough to beat Green Bay. Now, the question is which quarterback to start Sunday vs. the Saints.
Fans have no shortage of opinions.
Head coach Doug Pederson may be undecided about his starting quarterback, but Eagles fans seem to be very clearly Team Carson Wentz or Team Hurts after the rookie quarterback finally gave them a reason to cheer on Sunday.
Earle Manley came into Fan Treasures in Runnemede, Camden County, Monday in search of a Jalen Hurts jersey.
Some #Eagles fans are throwing their support behind rookie QB @JalenHurts to start Sun's game against the Saints, after his promising effort against the Packers. It's also leading to peaking interest in his merchandise at @FanTreasures in #Runnemede STORY @CBSPhilly @ 530 & 6pm pic.twitter.com/ujGq8YEOrN
— Trang Do (@TrangKDo) December 7, 2020
Manley is one of a growing chorus who say it's time to give No. 2 a shot at starting quarterback after his promising effort replacing Wentz in the third quarter in Sunday's 30-16 loss against the Packers. Hurts threw the Eagles' first touchdown of the game and the first of his NFL career.
"I think they took too long to put him in the game," Manley said. "We had a chance to win the game."
Fan Treasures senior buyer John DeMaria said that boost in fan morale often leads to a boost in sales.
"Customers had already been asking for [Hurts] prior to last night's game, however, I think it'll ramp up now that he's been playing," he said.
Though Pederson says he will wait to decide who will start against New Orleans this Sunday, people Eyewitness News spoke to said they know exactly what they would do if they called the shots.
"Hurts should be starting for right now, and the coach really has his job on the line, because he's making the decisions by his heart and it's all about winning," said Larry, who declined to give his last name.
"If they were to call me up and have me come over tomorrow and work with him, I guarantee you, by Sunday, he would be back to his old self again," said Richard Lindemann, a Philadelphian who thinks the team should stick with Wentz.
DeMaria said he tends to agree.
"At the end of the day, we've committed a lot of dollars to Carson Wentz. We've committed kind of our future to him, so I think it's it's really important that we get him playing better," he said.
DeMaria said there has been a drop in interest in Wentz merchandise, but that's typical when the team isn't playing well and for players who have been with the team for a while. Overall, in good times and bad, the Eagles remain Fan Treasures' best-selling team.
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