Carson Wentz opens up about changes to his diet, shedding the knee brace and more

The Philadelphia Eagles opened up day 1 of their on-field portion OTAs and a familiar face was back leading the charge, as Carson Wentz was a full participant for on-field drills and practiced without limitations. Wentz was able to start building a rapport with DeSean Jackson, JJ Arcega-Whiteside and others while shedding the knee brace that he wore all of last season.

Afterward, the Eagles quarterback addressed the media and talked about Chris Long, DeSean Jackson, his knee, his back, and his new diet.

Wentz on improved eating habits:

“I’ve seen a lot of developmental there personally,” he said. “I think it’ll help going forward staying healthy and with longevity.”

Wentz referenced the focus Tom Brady and other top signal callers have on their nutrition and dieting, and its something he wanted to improve. Wentz wouldn’t go into specifics about his diet but joked “maybe I’ll write a book about it.”

Wentz on shedding his knee brace:

#Eagles QB Carson Wentz says having a full offseason this year is “definitely helpful,” especially with no limitations on his knee and back. No more knee brace and he’s very happy about that. pic.twitter.com/SXNkuMDCr3

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) May 21, 2019

Carson Wentz on removing the knee brace: "Ultimately, it was my decision. But talking through it with everybody, we just felt it was best going forward. Knee felt good, feels strong, and I feel better without it.”

— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) May 21, 2019

Carson Wentz as relaxed as I can remember during presser. Asked about knee brace, said it “felt great to get that thing off.” …Focused on diet, flexibility in offseason for durability, longevity. …No limitations from back. …Thinks they can “do something special” with DeSean pic.twitter.com/7gnnUsdTtY

— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) May 21, 2019

Wentz on DeSean Jackson:

“He’s awesome. He’s so far been a great teammate. He comes in, works hard, obviously I’ve learned he’s pretty fast.”

Wentz harped on Jackson’s speed and stated that he’s “looking forward to building that relationship with him both on and off the field.”

Wentz on JJ Arcega-Whiteside:

Wentz called the jump ball specialist, someone he’s “particularly excited to see develop, especially once they get the pads on.” Wentz referenced his big frame and that he’s “a hard worker, great kid”.

Wentz on Chris Long:

“I love that guy. He’s an unbelievable teammate. Unbelievable leader. I can’t say enough good things about him… we love that guy, miss that guy and wish him the best.”

Wentz on his diet and sleep:

“Nutrition and diet and sleep are a big part of it. So for me, that’s something I’ve really been looking at this offseason, too. You’ll see benefits and hopefully add years to your career. …I feel good, I feel strong, I feel quick. Some of those things are paying off.”

Wentz missed most of the 2018 offseason recovering from knee procedures and had to be eased in during training camp. With a full offseason to prepare and no limitations to impede his progress, look for Wentz to look sharp as training camp approaches.