Why is Carson Wentz not playing tonight? Reason why the former Eagles QB is benched by Commanders

The 4-5 Washington Commanders are taking on the perfect 8-0 Philadelphia Eagles today, but Carson Wentz is nowhere to be seen. The former Eagles quarterback's absence is conspicuous; instead, Taylor Heinicke is starting.

The Commanders placed Wentz on the Injured Reserves list on October 22 after he underwent surgery to fix a fractured finger. The quarterback is eligible to return in Week 11 but will likely be Heinicke's backup.

Wentz being relegated to the backup role is not surprising. Heinicke has started in Carson Wentz's place in the last three games and has a 2-1 record. It would have been 3-0 if they had not collapsed late against the Minnesota Vikings. With Wentz, the Commanders had a 2-4 record. It is generally not surprising to see a winning quarterback take over for a quarterback with a losing record.

Furthermore, head coach Ron Rivera has been critical of Wentz in the past, putting down their struggles solely to their quarterback position. Hence, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that he would choose Heinicke to start instead.

Also, when the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders met earlier in September, the Commanders lost 24-8. It was a personal trial for Wentz as he was sacked nine times by his former team, which seemed bent on exacting revenge on their former quarterback.

So, there are a myriad reasons to bench Wentz for this game. Based on his previous performances against this opposition, lack of faith from the coach, and his general lackluster performances, it should not be a surprise.

But the reason that Carson Wentz is not starting today is more academic. He fractured his finger in Week 6, playing against the Chicago Bears, and was accordingly placed on injured reserve. That means he will be eligible to return after this week and is presently inactive.

Will Carson Wentz remain a backup for the Commanders even after the Eagles game?

A lot depends on how Taylor Heinicke performs today against the Philadelphia Eagles to determine if Carson Wentz has a chance of retaining the starting role next week. If Heinicke can knock off the undefeated NFL leaders against all odds, the clamor for him to be retained will grow. Heinicke is also familiar with being the starting quarterback having played that role the entirety of last season when Ryan Fitzpatrick went down injured.

However, it is not going to be easy. He was already strip-sacked once in the game. To his credit, though, he rebounded to lead the Commanders to 20-14 over the Eagles at halftime. If he maintains that level of play, Carson Wentz will be left sweating and hoping his injury heals fast enough before the window for his possible return closes.