Eagles QB Carson Wentz on hunting and grilling with the offensive linemen, a summer getaway with the wide receivers
After a hunting and grilling outing, the QB is planning a get-together with wideouts.
There will be much written and discussed about Carson Wentz's leadership role this season. It has been a point of emphasis from coach Doug Pederson and the organization, which wants Wentz to be in the spotlight.
Wentz, by his own admission, "barely knew where the locker room was" at this time last year. That's different this year, and Wentz said he's focusing on building relationships with his teammates.
It's not just rhetoric. One example was seen on social media earlier this month when Wentz hosted his offensive linemen one afternoon for hunting and grilling.
"It was good to get those guys out, hang out, do things," Wentz said. "We went down the road and shot some shotguns, just hung out and bonded. Some of the guys love shooting guns and did it a lot; some guys, it was very new. And also cook up steaks and eat and just enjoy time with each other."
Wentz gave his offensive linemen shotguns for Christmas last year. He shares his hunting experiences often, from online videos of excursions with his brother to the anecdote about lying in a cornfield hunting on a Saturday morning last September when he received the call that he would be the starting quarterback.
But the takeaway from the gathering earlier this month wasn't as much the hunting as the initiative Wentz is taking with his teammates. He's planning to get together with the wide receivers this summer.
"That's going to be an annual thing every summer," Wentz said. "Not sure where we're going to go yet, but I think that's a big part of the quarterback-wide receiver relationship. Even the tight ends and running backs. I think that's a big part of getting together and building that chemistry not just on the field, but also hopefully do it somewhere we can be together, spend some time, and bond as well."
He understands the front-facing, face-of-the-franchise responsibilities that a quarterback must take on, but Wentz places value on his role in the locker room – especially with the offensive linemen and wide receivers.
"Really focusing on these guys," Wentz said. "It's come very naturally, organically, as a quarterback here. Being a leader kind of goes hand-in-hand."