Jeffrey Lurie called it "a great day for the Eagles" as the owner introduced Carson Wentz at a news conference celebrating Wentz's four-year, $128 million contract extension, which ties him to the franchise through 2024.
Wentz, wearing an olive-colored suit with a silver-and-kelly-green tie, dismissed questions about how he might have waited until he was in a stronger bargaining position to sign on for the long term. He kept emphasizing how much he wanted to be here, and that he doesn't really care if the $32 million-a-year average over the final four years of the deal is outdated for a top QB by the time he gets to that benchmark.
Wentz has missed eight regular-season NFL games out of 48, and all five playoff games the Eagles have played during his tenure with knee and back injuries. He might have been in a position to set the quarterback market with a healthy 2019 if he had fended off the Eagles' attempts to lock him up.
"It was something I think both sides wanted to get done. I knew I wanted this to be home for a long time," Wentz said Monday, on the evening before the start of the team's full-squad minicamp, which concludes Thursday. "Ever since being drafted it's felt like home, so as soon as we found something that was a win-win and a really fair opportunity, I jumped at it."
Wentz, 26, said getting the contract settled before going into his fourth NFL season is "pretty surreal. It's still kind of sinking in a little bit."
Lurie reached back to a favorite memory from the draft process, when the Eagles, who still had to trade their way up from 13th to eighth to second overall in the 2016 draft to get Wentz, met with him in Fargo, North Dakota, where Wentz had led North Dakota State to the Football Championship Subdivision title.
"It goes without saying what we think of Carson _ it started on Day 1, when we first met in Fargo, a long time ago _ not that long ago, actually _ incredibly impressive from Day 1 and every moment he's been with us at the Eagles, it's just reinforced everything we expected and much more," Lurie said. "Whether it's leadership, poise, the desire to be really, really good, if not great. Attention to detail, smart, the face of the franchise in so many ways."
Wentz also had vivid memories from 2016.
"From the moment they traded up to get me, they saw something special in me, and that means a lot," he said. "At the same time, I saw something special in this place. I could see the chemistry, I could see the culture and the makeup, from the moment I came here on my visit before the draft, even. I knew there was something different here. I knew there was something special. ... It's been quite the ride for these couple of years, but I'm really excited about what the future brings. My teammates make this place amazing. Guys come in and out each year, but the culture never changes.
"I couldn't be more excited to be a part of this city. I love everything about this city, the fan base is amazing. It's truly special to run out at the Linc on Sundays and see those fans, just the passion they bring. I've said it, I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but I don't feel this culture, this city could fit me any better, just with the passion they bring and how bad they want to win, and I'm wired the same way."
