Eagles bench Wentz, name Jalen Hurts starting QB

Jalen Hurts will be the starting quarterback Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles face the New Orleans Saints, the team announced Tuesday.

Carson Wentz will head to the bench and take on backup duties.

Head coach Doug Pederson noted he made the decision due to his dissatisfaction with the offense.

"We're not where we want to be as an offense. I looked at the whole thing and decided that for this week to look for that spark again to try to get the team over the hump, to try to get everybody playing better," Pederson said.

Hurts replaced Wentz in last Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers, sparking a mini-surge from the inconsistent Eagles offense. The rookie finished the day 5-for-12 for 109 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

Wentz's struggles have been staggering this season, leading to calls to start Hurts in recent weeks. The 27-year-old is completing under 60% of his passes and leads the NFL in interceptions (15).

The former Pro Bowler signed a four-year, $128-million extension with the Eagles in 2019. The deal also contains slightly over $107 million in guaranteed money.

Philadelphia will face many questions over the long-term future of the quarterback position this offseason. The franchise used a second-round pick on Hurts in the 2020 draft but must also consider Wentz's contractual situation. Wentz carries a $34.6-million cap hit next season and would leave a $59.2-million dead-cap hit if cut, according to Spotrac.