Eagles' Carson Wentz has a broken back, report says, but did he play through it?
PHILADELPHIA – Carson Wentz has a fracture in his back, according to multiple reports, but it has not been determined yet if he can keep playing through it.
But the new revelation about the fractured vertebra, plus the fact that Wentz has not practiced Wednesday or Thursday, makes it extremely unlikely that he'll play this Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
It's also diminishes the chances that Wentz will play again this season.
If Wentz can't play, Nick Foles would take over. Foles started the first two games this season as Wentz completed his recovery from tearing two knee ligaments last December. Foles also led the Eagles to the Super Bowl when Wentz suffered the torn ACL and LCL last year.
Wentz most likely already has played through the broken back, considering that he was on the injury report in Weeks 7 and 8 in late October, listed with a back injury. Back then, Wentz was limited in practice for one day each of those weeks.
The NFL Network reported Thursday that Wentz has the fracture, adding that the Eagles have monitored it throughout the season with CT scans. None of them revealed the fracture until now.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson said as much in his press conference Wednesday.
"We've been on him and monitoring him," Pederson said Wednesday. "So, we've monitored it and stayed on top of it and have had great communication with him."
Eagles running back Jay Ajayi played through a broken bone in his back earlier this season. He suffered the injury on Sept. 16 against Tampa Bay, then returned the next week and kept playing until he tore his ACL on Oct. 7 against Minnesota.
The Eagles will likely take a more conservative approach with Wentz, especially at this point in the season with the playoffs a longshot. Rest is considered the best remedy for the situation.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.