A big win over the Los Angeles Rams that pushed the Philadelphia Eagles into the No.1 seed, might have come at a season-altering cost. Quarterback Carson Wentz, who left Sunday's game with a knee injury and the team immediately ruled out, is feared to have suffered a torn ACL.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Sunday night that there is significant concern amongst the Eagles' brass that the MVP candidate suffered a season-ending injury. MRI results won't become public until Monday, but losing Wentz would mean the NFL loses one of the favorites for Most Valuable Player and the Eagles would lost their star quarterback with only a few weeks remaining before the playoffs.
Wentz exited Sunday's game with under 2:30 remaining in the third quarter. The injury occurred when Wentz dove for the end zone and took a brutal hit that twisted his body, but he remained in the game for a short time and threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery to give the Eagles a 31-28 lead. He went to the locker room after the drive ended and never returned, with Nick Foles taking his place behind center.
In an emergency role, Foles performed about as well as the team could ask for. He completed six-of-10 passes for 42 yards and helped push Philadelphia into field goal range twice to give the team a 37-35 lead with only a few minutes to go.
If the MRI results confirm the initial diagnosis, this is an injury that could wipe out Philadelphia's hopes for success in the playoffs. While Foles is an experienced starter and just four years ago posted a 27 touchdown to two interception season with the Eagles, the 28-year-old's best role is an emergency starter who can fill in for a few weeks.
From a fantasy perspective, the loss of 2017's potential fantasy MVP will prove to be costly for fantasy owners. Wentz's absence will hurt the stock of wide receiver Nelson Agholor, Alshon Jeffery and tight end Zach Ertz. While Jeffery and Ertz will remain fantasy starters in all leagues, their opportunities to post bigger numbers may take a hit.