One of the more surprising selections of this year's NFL Draft was when the Philadelphia Eagles took Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts with the 53rd pick while already having franchise QB Carson Wentz locked up through 2024.
The selection, however, did not catch Wentz off guard.
Wentz said the Eagles called him before the draft to let him know they might pick a quarterback, and he was under the impression the organisation was not out to replace him.
"It didn't really concern me," Wentz said on a conference call on Monday. "My reaction was, kind of understood. I had a feeling there was a chance we'd want to draft somebody given the way our roster is laid out and wanting to get younger.
"There was no concern for me. I think the team showed their investment in me last year and I've nothing but confidence and faith in them and they have nothing but confidence and faith in me. So I think it's all about strengthening that position and this group that we have.”
Wentz, who signed a $128million extension less than a year ago, passed for a career-best 4,039 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions while playing all 16 regular-season games in 2019 before suffering a concussion in Philadelphia's Wild Card loss to the Seattle Seahawks. This came after both his 2017 and 2018 seasons were famously derailed by injuries.
Despite his injury history, Wentz did not view the addition of Hurts as someone who will take his job.
"With Jalen, I'm excited to add him to the team," Wentz said. "I know how important the quarterback position is, and how important the dynamic is for me and the other guys in that room.
"I've been blessed over the years to have some incredible not just quarterbacks, but incredible humans and friends in that quarterback room. We really endure a lot together and go through [a lot] together. So I'm excited.
"I've heard nothing but good things about Jalen and the kid he is and the player he is."
Hurts also provides a different skill set at the position than Wentz as a dual-threat QB.
After leading Alabama to back-to-back National Championship games as a freshman and sophomore before being benched for Tua Tagovailoa, Hurts then guided Oklahoma to a Big 12 title this past season as a senior while garnering third-team AP All-American honors.
He finished his four-year collegiate career with 9,477 passing yards with 80 touchdowns and another 3,274 rushing yards and 43 TD runs.
Hurts' athletic ability potentially opens up Philadelphia's playbook and gives the team an opportunity to possibly line Hurts up on the outside or in the backfield along with Wentz.
"We'll see how that all plays out," added Wentz. "We haven't gotten too deep into the playbook and how things are going to look. But for me, whatever's going to help us win.
"I came to Philly ever since being drafted and all I wanted to do was win and stand up there and hold up that Lombardi Trophy. Whatever that takes and whatever that's going to look like, I'm on board."